Honesty Comes Only From Small Children (or Drunks)
by Astorian
Summary: Even with his luck Harry never would have guessed how very wrong his working holiday would turn out. Now he has to figure out how to get home all the while dealing with only the kind of trouble (and friends) he can attract (Tal-Maqluba rewrite).
1. Chapter 1: The-Man-Who-Conquered

**A/N** This is a re-write of an old story that I last worked on in 2013. Five years later I decided I wanted to finish what I started but couldn't figure out how to work the old story into something that made sense. So re-write! For anyone who was waiting for an update I'm sorry for the delay and it was the people that favourited despite the fact the fic was pretty much dead that made me want to keep writing this. For anyone just checking this out – Enjoy!

* * *

It had not been a good Monday morning for Harry Potter. While he, like most people, had his share of inconvenient luck today had been simply abysmal. Just once he would like if his Monday problems would peak at forgetting to re-stock his floo powder supply when he was already late for work. Just once. At this point he would be perversely happy to find that kneazles had chewed through his best shoes. Just normal everyday problems, problems that could happen to anyone!

But no, he had to wake up and go through his normal everyday morning just to get to the more unusual problems that came with being 'The-Man-Who-Conquered'. Those problems did not include freeing the oppressed, saving the innocent; no, no, no he had to, as he semi-regularly had to, evade a mob of his supremely committed fans.

It had all started when Harry decided to give up on making breakfast at home before work and to warm up with a meal courtesy of the Leaky Cauldron. Old Tom who had been there to see his very first trip to the world of magic was more than qualified to supply him with a winning breakfast more than a decade later. Or well at least his chef was. At the very least the omelette he ended up with was delightful. Truly the ideal combination of light and cheesy scattered with the occasional but inconspicuous vegetable. The only thing that prevented him from enjoying it completely was his instincts.

He whipped his head to the right. Like any Auror in potentially dangerous territory he had positioned himself with an easy view of the door. The door that had, according to his expert count, opened and closed three times in quick succession over the last two minutes. Either the doorstop charm had failed on a particularly breezy day or someone was up to mischief. Harry lowered his fork.

The door swung open for a forth time and it heralded his doom. The first admirer came through. Harry's heart sunk in his chest. At the same time an instinctive fear reaction made him get to his feet.

He was up. He was up and prepared to flee.

The half dozen witches that had gathered within the establishment approached with coy determination. He cast a mournful glance at his omelette. It was just not meant to be. Harry entertained himself with the thought that his breakfast was just so good it created a public craze. While he deluded himself he shouted his apologies to Tom and made a hasty exit from the Leaky Cauldron.

So on the slightly overcast and generally grim March morning the saviour of the wizarding world scampered away from his breakfast and towards the rest of his day.

Once through the brick entrance to Diagon Alley, Harry was able to apparate directly to the Ministry. It was still early enough that the only people around were those of the dedicated disposition. And well as long as none of them included Boy-Who-Lived fanatics Harry was relatively safe from a repeat of the scene he had just escaped. He drew his auror robes out of his mokeskin pouch and quickly donned them with the hope that no one would bother him while he was on official business.

His boots were uniform requirement and were charmed to make no sound as he traversed the marble floor to the elevator and it made for an eerie journey. Even after all these years Harry was always struck by the memory of his first few visits. His rides in the elevator first as his trial, later as a disguised undesirable number one weren't a particularly good start with the ministry. Then again the ministry was nearly unrecognizable from the war; for one the horrid statue that was once pride of place in the atrium was gone along with most of the ideology it represented.

Exciting the elevator and heading to the bullpen that housed the investigative auror teams, Harry found his cubicle and settled in to complete the seemingly never ending pile of paperwork that apparently came from being a field worker. At least that was one good thing that came from an early morning mobbing; his paperwork might finally get completed early. Smiling to himself Harry decided that even though it was sometimes boring being an Auror it was far better than being the Boy-Who-Lived.

With his head bent over a report for a minor raid on a dark objects dealer from last week Harry didn't notice that someone else had entered the room. He did however notice when someone jabbed him in the side of the face making Harry jump about a meter in the air.

"Oi, I've been standing here for about five minutes, I thought being an Auror was meant to sharpen your instincts not make you obsessed with paperwork"

Harry waited for his heart to go back to a human rhythm and grinned at his oldest friend.

"Ron you're here early, I would've thought you would've tried to stay home and sleep while you could" Harry said.

"Trust me, I'd have more luck trying to sleep here" Ron said dragging a chair over with great dramatics to Harry's desk.

"I don't know how Hermione does it but I couldn't stand it another minute with the screaming little banshee" He continued.

Harry laughed not believing a word, Ron doted on Rose even though she did seem quite like a banshee at times, though mostly when either Ron or Hermione called for help or as they put it 'relief' in the early hours of the morning.

"How on earth did you get Hermione to let you out so early this morning?"

"I don't need permission to come into work Harry!" Ron said indignantly

Harry raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Well I might have imagined an urgent sighting of a notorious Wurg importer". Ron said with a dramatic sigh.

Harry snorted, "Good call, I haven't heard anything about them yet though, not sure if anyone else has either; you should probably mention it to the head".

Ron leaned back on his chair with his arms behind his head.

"You shouldn't be so smug! How about your own reason for being so early? Ron hmmed.

Harry stiffened slightly and looked at Ron suspiciously.

"What about it?" he asked

Ron broke out into a laugh.

"You should know by now that everything you do people are going to find out about, especially if they travel throught the Leaky. I imagine the Prophet is already printing issues with stories of your ordeal, 'Potter Mobbed While Eating Omelette'."

Red faced Harry glared at Ron, knowing it wasn't unlikely. After the war Harry had been more famed than ever. Situations like this were getting unfortunatley common.

"You really need to settle down Harry, they wont stop while they still have hope" Ron continued with mock seriousness.

Harry shuddered "It'd probably cause a riot"

Ron stopped teasing Harry for the moment.

"But seriously have you thought any more about heading away for a while? You've hardly left the country. You should take Kingsley's offer and head to Malta."

Harry thought for a moment

"What just leave my job and go teach others how to hunt dark wizards? What about you guys?" Harry said.

"Still the same answer then." Ron sighed.

"You know we can probably handle things around here without you for a while. The wizarding world isn't going to hold it against you. They do owe you quite a bit Harry, a little time off here should be okay." Ron continued, "and Hermione and I can take care of each other, Banshee or not"

Harry ran a hand through his hair, messing the already wild mop.

"I'll think about it"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll think about it" Ron answered as he had the last time he and Harry had had this conversation.

Their conversation ended and they both turned to their respective paperwork. As more and more people started trickling in for work Harry completed the reports and after several hours, a few cups of coffee and an exploding doorknob Ron and Harry left for lunch.

"Mate I know we usually just go into London, but in return for escaping Rosie early I may have promised to come home for lunch" Ron said sheepishly, "and I said I would bring you"

Harry shrugged, "It'll be good to see the ladies, we have enough plenty of time."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Like you don't see us almost every day anyway".

* * *

Brushing the soot of his cloak Harry entered the newest Weasley living room. Currently it was littered with toys and rubbish and smelt faintly of vomit. It quite clearly showed evidence of the youngest Weasley.

A slightly frazzled Hermione entered and before Harry or Ron could say anything she whipped out her wand and whispered furiously;

"He who speaks loudly will be cursed into oblivion. Rosie has only just gone to sleep."

Ron and Harry shared frightened looks before following Hermione into the kitchen and sitting down at the table.

"So how have you been Harry?" she asked while a large bowl of roast vegetables seemed to float menacingly towards the table.

As the table set itself with the dignity of one sentenced to death Harry answered.

"I'm fine, haven't been too busy . Mainly just filling out seemingly endless piles of paperwork that no one will ever see again. There has been some small scale stuff but nothing that would have been in the Auror's departement a few years ago."

Hermione smiled with brutal humour, "I guess compared to Voldemort Wurg imports would seem a bit silly."

As Ron suddenly became very interested in whether there were any sausages left, Harry got up grinning to let in an owl that was tapping at the window.

It got a knut from Hermione before dropping the paper in some potatoes and flying out again. Frowning at the bird Ron grabbed the paper and quickly scourified it.

"Whats happening in the world then Ron?" Harry asked while helping himself to said potatoes.

The Daily Prophet had become far more fact based (though no less obsessed with Harry) and as the only popularly accepted wizarding publication it still remained quite well distributed. Harry was of course holding out hope for the Quibbler but they were still more of an underground movement.

Ron read through the paper, while still managing to stuff food into his mouth with his other hand. About halfway through his eyes widened and he started laughing, which soon turned into chocking on a bit of sausage.

After a few minutes of wheezing and spluttering Ron recovered enough hand over a section of the paper to Harry.

"I don't believe it." Harry said

Still wheezing Ron said, "I did" and continued laughing "at least its not the front page" and collapsed over his plate shaking with mirth.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said before leaning over Harry's shoulder looking at the paper in his hand.

'The-Boy-Who-Lived attacked in London'

Hermione's eyes widened before she met her husband's and had to stifle a laugh as Harry banged his head on the table

"Thats it I'm going to Malta."

After Harry had finished the fateful lunch in which Rosie soon woke up with a scream to the sound of head banging, Harry and Ron fled back to the office.

Harry got a nudge in the back and a pointed look from Ron towards Minister Shaklebolts office.

Without being asked why he was there the receptionist waved him through. Harry entered and at Kingsley's beckoning took a seat in the simple but tastefully decorated room.

"What can I do for you Harry?" the Minister of Magic asked him in his smooth voice.

"I was thinking of taking up your offer" Harry said. "About Malta"

"I was hoping you would, it appears to be dangerous times to be the Man-Who-Conquered here in England." Kingsley replied with a smile, placing his hand on a newspaper.

Harry scowled, "It's not that funny."

"Indeed it isn't. Which is why I am so pleased you will be getting the chance to get away for a while. It will do you, and the rest of the us good" Kingsley replied.

Harry looked sceptical.

"I will make the necessary arrangements, it's surprisingly easy to get paperwork through the systems when it concerns you".

Harry, sensing that as his cue to leave stood up, thanking the Minister.

* * *

Only a few days later found Harry packed and ready leave. The paperwork had gone through and he had said he goodbyes to almost everyone.

Sniffing Hermione leaned in to hug Harry, "Be careful Harry" she said,

"I'll be fine, besides I'm an Auror. I can take care of myself for a few weeks, you won't even notice I'm gone" Harry said as he carefully lifted Rose into his arms.

Harry said goodbye to his goddaughter .

Ron leaned over smiling sappily at his daughter.

"Mate she can't understand a thing you're saying"

He informed Harry before being hit in the arm by his wife.

"Be quite Ronald, you talk to her all the time, she's very intelligent" Hermione said as she fondly smiled at the baby in her best friends arms.

Smiling Harry handed Rosie back,

"Only if she has your brains Hermione" he said before giving Ron a hug.

"Don't do anything too stupid while I'm gone" Harry said.

Ron laughed

"How could I, you seem to be forgetting that it's just you who attracts trouble. I'm the innocent who gets dragged into it!" he said

"Have a good time, and don't forget about us too quickly"

"Write as much as you can Harry" Hermione added

Harry laughed and they leaned in for a final hug

"Take care of each other!"

He released them and reached for the international portkey conveniently shaped like a stuffed shark.

He paused,"I'll miss you" he said before closing his grip around the toy and disappearing in a twist of power.

Ron and Hermione stared at where he had been for a moment before Rosie's peircing screech ruined the moment and Ron unsucessfully tried to make her stop.

"I think we all know the real reason Harry decided to leave you little Mandrake" Ron said fondly before Hermione and he joined hands and headed home


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** I forgot to mention last chapter that this work is complete and will be up in it's entirety as soon as i've finished checking spelling etc (so won't need to wait more that a few years between chapters ;)

* * *

Harry landed in a whir of color and movement and it was only years of practice in magical travel that prevented him from vomiting all over his boots. International portkeys had to be the worst. Really everyone should just use brooms.

"Auror Potter!"

Harry stood hoping that he looked more professional than green. He turned towards the voice and saw a man making his way down the gentle slope he'd arrived at the base of.

"Welcome to Malta!" The approaching man began speaking slightly before reaching Harry

"I'm Andre Micallef the local Uffiċċjal tal-magija here in Qrendi"

Swallowing down the last of his nausau Harry replied,

"Thanks for inviting me Ufficcjal Micallef was it?"

Harry returned the vigorous hand shake of the middle aged man

"Please call me Andre, we're a small team here so don't stand on much ceremony"

"Only if you'll call me Harry"

"It's a deal! Now I bet you'll be wanting to meet the others and get off your feet?"

"That'd be great"

"Lovely follow me up this way, we've staying not far from here, lovely set up in my brother in laws place"

"Nice of him" Harry said as he started to get his breath up.

Not pausing Andre continued to speak rapidly while climbing back up the slope Harry had arrived at the bottom of.

"Yeah we're grateful but honesty with all the dark activity going on around here he wasn't reluctant to leave!"

Harry was now breathing heavily and felt a moment of gratitude that he'd long since had his glasses removed in favor of an occular spell because his glasses would have surely fogged up with the heat he was generating from walking in the warm climate.

"What exactly has been going on here? It was all very vague" Harry replied desperately trying not to sound out of breath. Merlin he was getting old he thought.

"The others can tell you more".

Andre replied as he led Harry from the grassy valley and along a cobbled road.

Well that was rather vague Harry thought. But with no other choice he followed the man past the rather charming and very non-threatening houses. Didn't exactly inspire thoughts of dark wizards. It wasn't long before they'd apparently reached their destination.

"And here we are"

He turned into the doorway and followed the Ufficcjal up the stairs.

"We're back!" Andre shouted up the stairs.

Harry listened to the sounds of movement before he entered the sitting room finding two others in addition to Andre.

He turned towards Harry and gestured towards the lovely looking woman who'd stood from the sofa.

"Here's the lovely Selene Scerri on placement from Italy"

"Pleasure" Harry said shaking her hand

"And of course can't ignore the boss, Antonio Camilleri"

Harry shook hands with the man who approached next.

He then stood back and took stock of the three individuals in front of him who seemed to make up the entirety of the Maltese magical defense force.

"We do have a headquarters" Andre said quickly, "It's just that we want to be closer to the action for quicker response times"

Andre's mouth was open and ready but was cut off by Antonio.

"I imagine you have had some information about what we've been dealing with here?"

"Not as much as I'd like, just that you've had some dark wizards here and you're badly understaffed"

"Well that's the bare bones of it" Selene huffed, "But it's a bit more complicated than that"

"Dark wizard sitings would be bad enough but it's where they're being sited that's the issue"

Harry looked at Andre curiously.

"They're working magic out of a site we call Il-Maqluba, literally translates to upside down"

"It's a foul place" Selene added soberly

"We can take you to it whenever you feel up to it"

Harry almost bristled at the implication that he'd arrived not ready for anything.

"Now would be good"

"It's a five minute walk from here, part of the staying in a house in close proximity rather than working out of our headquarters in the capital and letting people slip past"

After walking for a brief distance Harry began to realize why the site was translated to the upside down. The browning field on the left side of the dirt road they had been walking on fell away into a deep hole with sides too steep to traverse on foot. In the hole itself the land was covered in twisting knots of green knurling hedges making it look impassable.

Overlooking the dark and foreboding marr in the land was a church, old and simple.

"The chapel of St. David" Andre supplied.

"What happened here?" Harry asked curiously.

"The Muggles believe that the Il-Maqluba has been around since time of the Phonecians with the church built to ward off the evil."

"Other's believe it was an act of Satan sinking a village to punish the residents with their God leaving only the pure within the church unharmed and the damned to linger forever in the Il-Maqluba" Selene added.

"What do you think?" Harry asked the still serious Antonio

"The muggle records are conflicting but know this: we have found traces of dark magic, nothing good grows there, perverted by the lingering malevolence. In the past it has drawn those that practice the dark arts but never have they lasted as long as the current sect. I fear they have learnt to harness what dark power remains ".

Harry stared down at the hole.

"Well witches and wizards have gone dark before and they've been stopped before" Harry said shaking off the growing sense of foreboding.

"That is true, let us hope that we catch these people soon."

"We will"

"We better, it's peak tourist season soon!" Andre stated.

* * *

The sense of foreboding Harry felt overlooking Il'Maqluba didn't entirely fade and as the days passed and the last day of April arrived he felt increasingly restless. He couldn't help but feel like the dark practitioners had heard of his arrival and were waiting for him to turn tail back to England.

Either that or this had just been an elaborate plot to get him to see some sun. Because sunny it was. Even though May was usually decent enough back home it had nothing on the turning season in Malta. Which was fine and all on holiday but made sitting on watch severely uncomfortable.

Between the three of them they had set up a system of monitoring with at least one person awake at all times in order to watch both the view of the Il-Maqluba from the window and to have a quick response in case the wards alarmed.

Harry checked his watch. He had the night shift and he watched as the minute hand slowly clicked closer to midnight and the 1st of May would start.

"How're you going Harry?"

Harry didn't jump but it was a near thing. Selene's questioning voice was quiet as she joined him by the window with two cups of iced water, sliding one over to him.

"Thanks" Harry said as he claimed it gratefully. "It's been another quiet night"

Harry should've known better. He really should've. He tempted fate often enough that adding a statement like 'It's been a quiet night' was just too much hubris for everything to remain calm.

The wards let out a piercing alarm and this time Harry did jump, hoping that it looked more like a professional spring to action. Selene also leapt into action after a loud 'Merde!'

Harry could hear the others moving in the next room let out a shout as they woke.

"Here we go!" Antonio said like an announcer at the fair, 'Heeere we goo"

"It's the West ward below the chapel!".

He did a quick gear check before rushing for the stairs

Antonio was pulling on his second boot and Andre was surprisingly collected.

"Alright like we planned: Harry, you and Selene take the direct approach, Andre and I will flank you and try take them from the sides"

Harry nodded already moving down the stairs and across the street. Jogging beside Selene they crossed to the chapel and Harry caught a flash of movement at the rim of the crater before it vanished.

A second ward alarmed.

"That alarm"

Selene grabbed his arm almost pulling him to a stop,

"They've gone into the hole!"

"Well then we know where we need to go then"

Selene hesitated before releasing Harry and nodding severely.

Apparating would be the only way to get past the tangled and restrictive foliage lining the crater. Harry sent up a green flare to signal the others their direction before nodding to Selene and apparating alongside her to the edge of the clearing.

People scattered.

Selene slammed down anti apparition wards.

"Three, I count three" Selene gasped as the air seemed to compress them below the tree line.

Harry nodded in agreement while sending out a stunner that illuminated his target as it hit.

"Two" He said as he sent up a blue flare.

"Merde! Where is Andre!?" Selene shouted as she ran.

"I'll take the left."

Harry was already off shouting in response.

"I've got the right, they're close!"

He barely paused as he saw a blue flare nearby as he took off into the night.

The further he ran the thicker the bush grew. It snagged at his jumper but the wizard he was following was still within his sight. With a sudden feeling of satisfaction he realized why the other wizard was having a harder time.

The idiot was wearing a full cloak and it kept snagging on the brambles.

Somewhere he could hear a bell begin to toll for midnight.

Harry grinned as he gained in the pursuit. Finally pushing aside a branch to step into a smaller clearing. His quarry had stopped running. Harry entered the clearing fully but before he could prepare for the confrontation he was met by a ready wand.

The night was bathed in red. His mind jumped to the old saying 'red sky at night shepherd's delight. But this was the middle of the night; the bells were tolling towards morning. Red sky in morning Harry thought, what happened in the morning? It had been a long time since the sun had set.

The bells were almost finishing tolling and as the month turned Harry's whole vision was filled with the sickly red of the banishing charm as he was hit.

* * *

Fun Fact! Il-Maqluba is a real place! Hope you enjoyed.


	3. Interlude 1: What happens in Vegas

In Las Vegas a clock ticking past midnight wasn't observed with much fanfare. It was simply another tick of the clock in a city where time was not much of a factor in the quality of entertainment that characterized the place. However eventually the hubbub of the city, roaring with life gradually spread further into the sprawl of the suburbs. There the clocked ticked on unnoticed by those sleeping because even in Las Vegas normal life went on.

Just under three hours drive from the City of Lights time was becoming an increasingly precious commodity. With only a small amount of people aware of it's existence the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility was managing to capture the frenetic energy often seen in their closest city. No one was still. Orders were being shouted and panic was being ruthlessly suppressed by the training of the agents. Everyone had a job to do and everyone would do it or face the fatal consequences.

It was an evacuation.

It was into this hive of activity that Director of Shield Nick Fury landed with Commander Maria Hill. They didn't interrupt the flow of activity. Their arrival wasn't even noted by the rush. They didn't pause to observe the evacuation because while the people were important their destinations were very different.

Separately they went to their duties. Hill to the experimental weaponry Phase 2 the Tesseract had been used to produce and Fury to the Tesseract itself.

As Selvig updated him on it's status they were interrupted by a researcher speaking in panicked tones.

"Sir our international team just picked up an unexpected spike of gamma radiation"

Fury looked at the women who had spoken up half hidden behind her monitor

Selvig hustled behind the monitor and looked over her shoulder.

"That can't be right? The Tesseract has only given off low levels, just above background, that was completely off the scale!"

"If it's the Tesseract what does that mean for us, has our timeline for evacuation decreased?" Fury demanded.

The woman seemed to hesitate as she focused on the monitor.

"Triangulating the source sir, it's not coming from here! It's well"

She trailed off.

"Where?" Fury barked.

"The Mediterranean Sea Sir" She said with clear confusion.

Fury didn't often encounter information that was completely new. Most information was the result of cumulative investigation. The intelligence field was a science more than an art. This however was obscure. This was odd. This was like an alien landing out of the blue in New Mexico. He did no dismiss it.

"Could it be what's causing the Tesseract to fluctuate?"

"Unlikely" Selvig answered, "the Tesseract has been misbehaving before the spike, but it's not out of the question that it's related."

"Make a note, keep an eye on it and keep me updated, you've had nothing else from there?"

"No further readings Sir, a single spike"

"Goddamn it this is turning into a situation, where's Barton?"

It wasn't long after that and everyone, let alone Fury were all too preoccupied with the sudden appearance of an apparently Nordic inspired alien invader to focus on an anomalous spike of radiation that had fallen in the middle of the sea. It fell into the back of Fury's labyrinth of a mind as he focused on getting the Tesseract back and his people safe.

This was a mistake because unbeknownst to Fury he'd just fallen a step behind in a game he wasn't aware he was playing. It was a game between two men who had worked their whole life fully aware that their own contribution to the work would be a chain in a link stretching both forward and backwards. When they died they would be a link in the past that kept the chain going. The chain was there to better society for a stronger future.

There was another player. He felt the kernel of excitement inside his chest grow when he thought about the future he would bring about. Soon there would be only his chain of thought and those loyal to a better future. It was not a quick process but he was willing to put the unrecognized work in.

He would be there to pick up the gaps that would be missed by Fury. Ultimately Fury would be overtaken. Fury had a good work ethic but he's never understood their ultimate message. Their reason to be. Fury was smart but he just didn't understand the nature of people. It would not do to underestimate the man but he was also just a cog in the machine. He was the machine, he was, he pleased himself with the analogy, an update. Not taking away. Not changing. Just keeping it going with better efficiency.

With this in mind he was in a lovely mood when his subordinate brought him a report on activity in the Mediterranean. They'd identified the activity to Malta, which was a bit of a sore spot. Too much history within his personal organization but really it was the 21st century they had to move past their last open war.

"Send in a team from Tunisia"

"Yes Sir"

He listened patiently to the rest of the update on the current going on. The Tesseract was going to be interesting. He would definitely have to keep a close eye on the situation.

He thanked his subordinate.

"I feel like things are about to get interesting"


	4. Chapter 3

Harry's first thought was that he really, really hated travelling by magic. His second thought was that he'd never felt this poorly after an international portkey before. His third thought was not happy because he was already meant to be in Malta. He'd been hit. Harry tried to groan and when even that failed he worried. That bustard must have got him with something. Something strong.

Harry tried to get his eyes to open but they stubbornly refused. The dull light he glimpsed send a burst of pain shooting through his head so intense his stomach threatened to rebel. He kept his eyes clenched for the moment and breathed deeply to quash the nausea. He tried to lift his arms to his face but they felt bound to his sides. Huh. He tried again but same result. Great. He was tied down. So not only was he hit by the dark wizards they had managed to catch him too.

The piercing pain in his temple also wasn't a good sign. If he was concussed it would make escape that much harder.

Harry tested the range of movement for his hands. They were strapped down at the wrist but he could still move his hands. Wonderful, stupid captors always helped.

While silent and wandless magic wasn't something that most witches and wizards spent time on there was a lot of use in a silent and wandless accio.

Summoning his wand to hand he felt immediate relief. The situation was bad but could've been worse.

Harry thought perhaps if they had been stupid enough to leave his hands loose then they may have been stupid enough to not have put up anti apparition wards.

With his wand in hand he prepared to apparate back to the headquarters. Worst case scenario he'd hit the wards.

He felt the narrow squeezing and felt a moment of triumph. That was before he was hit with indescribable pain.

It felt like he'd apparated into scalding water. Each nerve ending was fired and he could feel the restraints cutting into his wrists as his body arched uncontrollably.

After a short eternity of pain it was like the wires holding his muscles taunt were cut and he sagged boneless on the table. Distantly he could hear his wand clatter onto the floor. This was followed by a bang and Harry tried in vain to gather enough strength to summon his wand once more.

He was unsuccessful and he felt hands on him rough and urgent before a dull prick in his inner elbow heralded the end of consciousness.

* * *

It didn't take Harry long to realize the people that held him were not magical. The first clue should have been that whatever had stopped him wasn't anti-apparation wards. No he had no idea what they had done to stop him from apparating out but that was not a magical method he'd ever come up against before. The second, and most telling clue was that they had no idea what his wand was or how he had summoned it back to him. The third clue was the merciless and relentless experimentation that followed his escape attempt

Now Harry had been aware his whole life of the dangers of Muggles. He grew up with the Dursleys for Merlin's sake not forgetting the the occasional visit from Aunt Marge. But there was something very different between the casual cruelty of his family and the calculated malice these people seemed to harbor towards him.

He'd woken again.

He wished he hadn't. When the drugs cleared enough for him to notice his surroundings and remember what was going on he felt a faded fury. But it was faded and it didn't last long in the face of the drugs. And there were always more drugs.

He had only the dimmist idea of his captors with their dark uniforms but he assumed they were always watching because whenever he stirred they were never far away with more to send him back under.

He'd woken again.

He watched through fading light his blood travel from his arm, flowing away from him. He couldn't focus but the blood seemed to flow forever, gracefully curving through the air. He didn't want it to go. He frowned and tried to move his other hand to catch it. It was heavy and slow and caught.

He'd woken again.

"Fascinating"

"Has he been imaged?"

Harry struggled enough to get his brain to cooperate. But he kept slipping. Opening his eyes in different locations, he couldn't track the passing of time. He had no idea how long he'd been there.

He was moving. They were moving.

'Bang'

Harry dragged himself to consciousness

'Bang'

Loud. It was so loud. Why was it so loud?

 **'** Bang'

Harry looked into the pale tube. Loud and round Harry thought hysterically. No. No nothing about this makes sense.

'Bang'

Harry jumped.

His hands tried to grasp his head but were held to his sides.

He twisted his neck.

Blinking furiously he gasped.

'Bang'

Adrenaline flooded his system. 'Bang' he thought. He could do bang.

' **Bang'**

People were running in his peripheral vision. He was moving and the round white surroundings were moving too. He was in the open. He stared in the eyes of a man. His eyes were wide. He was afraid. Harry grinned. Distantly he was aware he'd been drugged but he thought that he may be making leeway. He hadn't been able to focus enough to produce a spell of enough force to stop them before. This was new.

The man stepped backwards with his hands held defensively in front.

Harry heard what sounded like the release of air from a seal. A brief and understated hiss. Dimly he was aware he'd been hit. Frustration mounted in a wave before it withdrew leaving dull apathy and semi consciousness.

"My god the potential! We need to get him to America"

* * *

Waking slowly was something that Harry hoped he never became accustomed to with his life having precious few moments when it was a safe way to come to in the morning. This sensation indicated that he should be frightened by his hazy half awake state.

"Ah I see what you mean about his response to anesthesia! Incredible!"

Distantly aware Harry could feel his limbs being moved. It was a horrifying sort of disconnect. To know your arms and legs were moving through space without having the control to stop, to guide, to be the one in charge.

He struggled to open his eyes and was rewarded by a sliver of light. It burnt like he hadn't seen light in days. The pain responsively sent tears trickling down the shallow crows feet bordering his eyes, ticking, till they fell below his ears. His eyes were closed and he was moved.

He felt like he was going to be sick yet his body couldn't respond to the nausea enough to follow through.

He was trapped.

Head tightening like a vice Harry felt the pain grow as the influence of the drugs decreased. He was having just as much trouble concentrating through the pain as he had through the drugs. No. No it wasn't true. He could think. He was thinking and he was aware. In some regard he was aware.

"Sir he's been heavily sedated for the last day"

"How long has he been in this facility?"

"Only hours sir"

"Excellent"

"Sir if I-"

"What is it?"

"Wh-what are you going to do to him?"

There was a long pause before the doctor replied. He observed the speaker.

"Discovery requires experimentation Agent"

Harry's shoulders tensed up painfully. Drew up tight like an overdrawn violin bow. He was stuck. He had no idea why but the words that the unknown man had spoken were horrifying.

"Now I know you got off to a rough start with our people but I want you to know that what we truly want is for you to be a valuable part of our organization"

Harry's head was spinning. The doctor was talking to him. Leaning over and staring Harry in the eyes. His glasses so like his used to be but maybe thicker. Darker. They were a cruel mockery. A strange reflection. Harry stared open eyed and unable to look away,

The doctor gestured sharply to the others in the room and Harry was moving again. He was vertical and his head was drawn back. He tensed and felt relief when his neck responded. He was strong enough to hold his own head up. It mattered little because soon his head was restrained as thoroughly as the rest of his body.

His confusion and undirected dread grew as they arranged what felt like metal fingers holding his eyes open. He strained to blink but couldn't and immediately felt his eyes becoming drier in the crisp air of the laboratory. Because that's where he was, a laboratory Harry thought. He looked around and the people in black uniforms had moved away leaving only the doctor in Harry's field of vision.

In the back of the room a metronome was ticking.

"To be a valuable part of our organization compliance is necessary"

The man stepped to the side revealing a screen.

The screen pulsed in front of Harry, fractals and bouncing shapes constantly changing patterns. The quality of the screen was nothing like what he was used to. The clear picture showing the image so clearly. He couldn't look away now even with his head held in place and his eyes forced open.

"We want to give you the opportunity to work with us".

Harry felt a surge of fear when he couldn't flick his eyes from the screen.

"Surrender and you will find peace"

Oh Merlin if these Muggles had somehow figured out power over minds then the world was in serious trouble.

"Compliance will be rewarded"

No Harry thought. No he will not comply. If there was one thing that he had always done it was fight. He attempted to clear his mind. No matter what they had done to his body he'd have his mind. Please let him have his mind!

He fought to remember everything he had been taught about occlumency.

His mind, already blurred with the effects of the drugs, seemed to loose a little something. Consciousness wasn't slipping away but it was changing, becoming something.

Harry felt his panic start to fade and some remainder of logical thought seemed to state matter of fact that if he didn't do something right now then he'd be lost. Another part of his mind seemed to think that wouldn't be so bad. Peace didn't sound so bad, and after all he could follow orders all right. Something to work towards? Something to give him meaning? He was just so tired.

He'd need to do something right now he seemed to think. If he wanted to stop this. Right now. Harry listened to the metronome as it's ticking seemed to slow so the distance between each tick seemed to stretch far beyond the constant second it was meant to demonstrate.

Right now.

It wasn't a particularly panic induced thing. Not really. It was just a choice. A choice he'd been making all his life. He'd forgotten for a moment, or maybe he'd been forgetting for a while. He decided he didn't want to comply.

The metronome ticked once then Harry was slipping. He hadn't cast a spell but his magic was alive around him. The TV screen cracked and the patterns disappeared leaving behind a powerless black image. He slipped, his restraints suddenly no longer holding him as tightly as before.

People had fallen away but as Harry desperately struggled to center himself he could see the Doctor picking up his small round glasses from the floor.

His ears were ringing but he could see the man shouting. He twisted his head to the right and his magic seemed to respond with no intention to his fear. It threw an approaching agent away. They'd taken away his fear with their machine, but now it returned ten fold. He struggled with the suddenly loose restraints and found himself on the floor staggering to his feet in the disordered room.

Another agent approached and his magic responded throwing the woman across the room. He was unsteady, unbalanced with the combination of the fading drugs in his system and some sort of physical damage. He ran across the room.

His legs were eager to respond the adrenaline flooding his system but each step seemed to land in the wrong place. Jarring and unbalanced he struck the floor painfully with his right knee as he fell. His feet had missed the mark Harry thought absurdly. His feet hadn't gone as far as they should've Harry thought. He pushed himself back off his knees. Up to one, stood and swayed. The room swam. The room was disproportional. They loomed over him. Arms, Shoulders and Faces. They loomed and Harry soon felt the room sway. The reality bled into unreality. The all too tall edges of the room seemed to twist and pull into strange corners that didn't exist. Harry would claim magic except it hadn't come to his rescue to far and he saw no reason why it would come now. Instead he watched as the corners pulled and pulled till they met in the middle and Harry's mind once again faded into unconsciousness.


	5. Interlude 2: Should've stayed in Vegas

In the grand scheme of things Fury knew they weren't that far from the Las Vegas incident. Physically it was only across America and temporally well it had only been two days since Loki had arrived in the desert but it had felt like weeks. Distantly Fury wondered when the last time he had slept was. He'd have to sleep soon otherwise he'd make a mistake.

Now more than ever he needed to keep his wits because the people around him were doing their best to drive him insane. Some people purely on accident, the jury was out on Banner but Stark. Well privately he thought that the only reason that Stark was here at all was to stress him out.

"You're meant to be looking for the Tesseract!"

Fury stated to Stark and Banner as they attempted to break past his security.

"We are!"

"Then what are you doing looking into our systems?"

"Well if you have nothing to hide then you shouldn't have a problem sharing"

"Guys" Banner's quiet voice easily caught their attention.

"Yes dear?"

"I'm detecting a strange level of gamma radiation" Bruce reported sounding concerned.

Fury looked at the man. Yeah he probably had more reasons than most.

"Huh? What do you mean strange?" Stark asked as he moved to stand beside Banner.

"Not at the levels we'd expect for the inactive Tesseract but well above background"

Fury groaned and rubbed at his eye.

"Don't tell me, signals in the Mediterranean?"

They looked at Fury like he was the crazy one.

"No, New York"

"What?"

Fury waited a beat before he kept talking,

"No don't try and explain, just tell me where exactly I need to send a team"

"And don't think I've forgotten that you've been snooping in my systems"

"Yeah about that, what is Phase two?"

Fury's blooming headache was in no way helped by Rogers slamming down a piece of experimental weaponry on the bench behind him

"Phase 2 is Shield uses the cube to use weapons, sorry the computer was a little slow for me"

Fury asked whatever deity was listening, remembered that he currently held a supposed deity in his helicarrier and thought fuck it, he'll take it into his own hands.

It was going to be a long day on top of a couple of very long previous days.

….

It was the order of their human deity that the team of on call Shield agents in New York followed when they were told to get off their asses.

"Alright team urgent local situation, we're moving out in 15."

"Brief is short, detected abnormal levels of gamma radiation detected and it's our job to check it out"

"What gamma radiation like creates a hulk gamma radiation?"

"Why do I feel like the disposable henchman in a movie plot?"

"Shut up and suit up"

Because they were professionals it only took 13 minutes before the unit were on the road. It only took another 20 before they arrived at their destination.

When they arrived at the warehouse they expected a false alarm. Because life isn't always a constant catastrophe one after another and they'd been having a bad lot recently. They were overdue a false alarm and the innocuous warehouse they arrived at didn't look the part.

It looked boring.

It really should have been their first clue into the kind of clusterfuck they were about to enter.

They were too well trained to take their approach casually. After a brief but thorough initial scouting of the exterior they entered. They took down the doors. It was dark. Deserted. It was empty. They moved quickly.

Doors were thrown open. Empty rooms checked.

"It's empty boss"

"We're entering the basement don't relax"

"Yes boss"

The basement entrance was typical.

The door was kicked open and fluorescent lights flickered in the hallway.

Silent now they followed the directives signed by the leader.

They spread.

Doors were opened. The rooms weren't empty but no one living was found.

The agent knelt beside the body and shook his head. No pulse.

They kept moving checking signs of life as they progressed.

They paused and split at the hallway.

Three agents took the corridor tilting towards the surface. Darkly lit and narrow it didn't prevent them from seeing movement.

Two men were running awkwardly through the corridor. One glanced back and the time for silence was over.

"On your knees!"

"Shit!"

"Stand down!"

"We will shoot"

"This is bigger than you fools!"

The men turned towards them. One was holding something. A kid.

The man holding the child was visibly shaking in the distance. The other man had a gun.

"Drop your weapons and get on your knees!"

The man pointed the gun at the kid.

A gunshot rang out and he was taken down.

The man holding the child was covered by a mist of blood from his comrade.

He dropped the child and held his hands over his head.

"Don't shoot!"

The agent ran forward. The shot man groaned but remained unconscious. They cuffed both.

"I just wanted to be a scientist, please I just wanted to be a scientist"

"One shot, needs medical once the building is cleared, one in custody and Sir, they had a child with them"

The agent could hear their leader reporting in but it faded into the background as he picked up the kid. He was skinny and pale and the agent did his best to not think about what these people were doing with him.

With one to guard the downed man the other agents secured their grips with varying care on the now sobbing scientist and the unconscious kid. Flanked by each other they moved through the base till they reached the exit.

"Shit is that the kid?"

The agent nodded looking uncharacteristically grim.

"Let's get him back to medical, there was another?"

"He was shot. Ward is with him. Should survive till medical arrives."

"Good" She said darkly.

"Come on let's get the kid somewhere safe"

She looked at the man wilting in the grip of the other agent.

"And let's see if we can find out just what happened here"


	6. Chapter 4

**A/N** Fair bit of bad language in this one as well as canon typical violence

* * *

For the first time in what felt like weeks Harry woke quickly with a mind clear from the cloud of drugs. Eyes shooting open he fought not to wince back against the brightly lit but still blurry room. As soon as he realized that while he was lying down he was also for the first time in recent memory unrestrained, he sat quickly simultaneously attempting to summon his wand.

No response. The feeling associated with the success of a casted spell was absent. Not even a stirring of magic.

Quickly looking around in the eerie silence he discovered he was not alone. With his yet to clear vision he saw a blurry vision at the end of the room, a young woman dressed as a nurse standing stock-still. She wasn't dressed in the dark uniform of his previous captors but at this point that didn't mean much. He didn't feel drugged but he definitely felt unbalanced.

Feeling like his legs were lead weights he swung himself from the bed hoping at least be on his feet for a confrontation. He hit the floor and he fell to his knees. The larger than anticipated gap between the edge of the bed and the floor sent shocks through his joints. The nurse dropped an empty plastic container of some sort while letting out a gasp. The container bounced despondently on the hard floor coming to a stop while the nurse quickly approached Harry moving quickly to one knee in front of him.

"You shouldn't be awake yet" The nurse stated with confusion, "How are you awake?"

Harry flinched back from the woman and hit the edge of the bed. He tried to blink to get a clearer view but still his eyesight refused to clear. His perspective of the woman was disorientating. She seemed disproportionate. Too close, too big.

The woman quickly settled back on her heels with her hands held in the universal signal for bearing no arms.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I wasn't meant to be the one here when you woke"

Harry didn't know what to make of that but didn't get a chance to pose a question before she kept talking.

"How are you awake? You weren't to be awake for hours!"

He moved while she made her gestures.

"Where am I?" Harry demanded.

"New York"

"Oh I don't know if I should have told you that"

Harry was hardly listening to her reply. Instead was preoccupied by how his voice had sounded. High and thin, not at all the voice of a grown man. He brought his hands to his throat. Small skinny hands grasped a small skinny neck. He felt his face and bought his hands close enough to his eyes they were clear and in focus.

He couldn't see properly beyond them

He needed his glasses he thought hysterically. He hadn't needed his glasses in a decade or so.

His could see his hands though. They were small. His gaze travelled down his arms until he was looking down at his body.

A child's body.

"You were just so drugged! I don't even know why they have you! You're just a kid"

Harry was numb to the words the lady was producing and took very little notice, as she talked further.

"I'm not even meant to be involved in something like this it's we're so understaffed at the moment and –"

The nurse suddenly held her hands against her mouth

"I'm sorry"

If Harry didn't feel like his emotions were sunk somewhere in the vicinity of the meridian trench he might've laughed.

"You just –"

The nurse was cut off.

More specifically the nurse was cut off by the huge chunk of wall that flew past her narrowly missing both of them.

Then noise was there. The noise happened in the same instant but it took Harry's brain a second longer to process. It wasn't just the sound of plaster and tortured metal. It was the cacophony of war.

Harry launched himself onto his feet mindless of the fact he had no shoes and took stock of the ruined medical room.

To his right the nurse was screaming. To his left sunlight filtered through dust, which was all that remained of what was once a wall. Harry took off.

His bare feet slapped against the pavement. He was in a city. Cities were not designed for war; well no-where was designed purely for war but a large densely populated area was pure havoc with fighting.

People were huddling in small groups. Clustering in the scant shelter offered by the edges of buildings. People were running with no clear destination just away. Away from the flying debris and sporadic explosions.

Harry had no idea where he was going. He had no idea what had happened to the people that had had him, whether the nurse was with them. He had no idea what had happened to him but at this point Harry just wanted to get to safely. He had travelled to Malta, not entirely unusual to be fair. But from there he had managed to somehow get himself captured by insane Muggles intent on brainwashing and now? Now he was smack bang in the midst of some kind of war in an American city? He just needed to keep moving, get himself to safety.

"Get the kid!"

Harry heard a number of screams. People were running terrified but this one stood out.

He looked for the kid.

"Get him out of there!"

Harry twisted in shock when a hand gripped his upper arm.

"Come this way!"

Harry looked at the man grabbing his arm. He was short. As short as Harry should have been had he not been robbed of a fair few years. His eyes were huge. They were bulging in his face. The whites were strangely what Harry focused on, the dull green of his iris a secondary observation. The man was terrified.

"Quick!"

"Shit!"

There was a figure in front of Harry. It was. Well it wasn't human. It was some sort of cross between flesh and machine. It seemed to be armored yet in places the armor was indistinguishable from skin.

Harry had seen many non human beings in his life. He had never seen something so not of this earth before.

The man that had a grip on Harry looked like he's stay his ground before his face crumpled in a sad sort of inevitability.

The creature approached Harry and raised it's arm.

Harry wasn't surprised to be left standing his ground before an alien. It was just about ridiculous enough that he should've expected it. He was surprised when a young women seemed to appear from nowhere to grapple with the alien's right arm. It seemed to be some kind of gun. A gun attached to his arm Harry thought hysterically.

The woman was screeching and swearing.

"You shit, you shit! You think you can just come into New York and fuckin' fuckin' fuck shit up!" She was screaming, her strength not enough to bring the alien to the ground but enough to shove the arm towards the tarmac.

"You fucker!"

Harry watched mesmerized as they wrestled over the alien's arm. Harry watched as the alien seemed to get over some initial shock and gain an advantage. Harry moved.

The carnage had clearly been going on for a while. The streets were littered with debris. There was broken glass, dangerous for his bare feet. Pieces of tortured metal littered the sidewalks.

Harry had observed this in his moments of freedom. He's catalogued this as he'd been trained to. Use whatever you can to your advantage. You won't always have your wand. Your imagination will always be your greatest strength.

Harry kept that in mind while he ran towards the struggle between the creature and the swearing woman.

He picked up a jagged piece of what was left of the pole from a road-sign. It had no trace of the actual sign or the concrete foundation. Simple jagged pipe.

It would do.

Harry approached at as fast of a speed he could manage with his reduced frame. He wouldn't hesitate.

The creature swung it's head towards Harry

"Shit! Shit! _Shit"_

A small part of Harry's concentration appreciated the effort from the lady engaged with the alien. The rest was entirely focused on the creature.

He swung low ducking below a blow from the creature's free arm. He struck the back of the knee where the critical tendons sat that allowed any amount of bipedal mobility. He cut deep with his makeshift weapon. A jagged pole end. It cut through the beginnings of the monsters knee at an angle. It was messy and not at all efficient.

It hit home with a shudder against what Harry could only imagine was bone, if the alien had bones, regardless the pipe would not move another inch.

For a moment there was nothing. No sound just mute reaction.

" **Shit!** "

The monster howled and released his hold on the women and grasped at the back of the knee cradling the pipe end in it's hands.

Blood began to drip from the end of the pipe not still within the monster.

Harry watched with morbid fascination. He'd seen many horrifying things in his life but this, well this, was unique.

"Shit!"

Harry was yanked from his view of the monster and backwards so quickly he almost fell onto his bum.

He wind-milled his arms before one was held quick in the grip of the woman who'd been tussling with the alien.

"Fat lot of good you were!"

Harry had a moment of indignation.

"Don't worry about it, we're going to be fine, but we need to move"

Harry realized that the woman hadn't been talking to him.

The man that had originally intercepted him was now gripped in the other arm of the woman as she towed both man and displaced wizard away from the shrieking alien and the general carnage of the street.

"Oh god, oh god, help us"

"You aren't even religious!"

The man glared at her balefully.

Harry did his best to process.

"I don't think this is the time to be debating religion"

"Oh shut up Richie!"

Harry ripped his arm free from the hold she had on him. They were arguing.

Harry peered around the edge of the doorway they'd backed into.

Gunshots and explosions rang while rubble flew. The alien attacker was not alone. There were more, clinging to the sides of buildings, in the streets. People were running. There was a woman running across the street. Dust hung in the air. She ran through an arched doorway.

"We need to be smart about this!"

"I – I guess we could go towards Bryant Park? That's the nearest emergency zone?"

The woman who dragged Harry over let out a nervous laugh,

"How do you even remember stuff like that Rich"

"Never know when you're going to get invaded Zoe." The man, Richie, said with a desperate little laugh tacked on the end.

It worked as he's hoped,

The woman burst into unrestrained laughter.

"We're going to be fine Richie"

"Hey! Kid get back here"

Harry turned back towards the couple.

"It's alright kid, you should stick with us"

Harry thought that may be easier said than done because at that moment raining debris and a violently loud bang sent them scrambling.

His ears were ringing. He wasn't sure where it was coming from. Dust flew around him

His hand was grabbed. They ran.

There were crowds of people moving on the streets.

They were running. They ran till they could run no more because there was an alien blocking their path.

There was an alien. It saw them.

It looked at them.

It moved.

They moved.

Harry felt the fear rise. It was different from before, he had nothing, not even a piece of pipe to defend himself with. Just whatever strength he could get from a child's body and his malfunctioning magic.

The alien approached and Harry desperately tried to focus on a spell.

Harry felt his hand being squeezed by the woman and he glanced up to meet her frightened eyes. Harry felt the last of his control over his fear seem to break.

They flew. The shockwave sent everyone flying.

Harry landed on the sidewalk smacking his right shoulder harshly.

Adrenaline numbing the right side of his body he sat up.

He looked towards the woman, Zoe. She was scrambling, crab walking on all fours but backwards away from Harry and towards where Richie had fallen.

The man groaned.

She turned him and hauled him to his feet.

"What's?"

"Get up! You need to get up!"

Harry heard the panic in her voice.

"Oh god what's going on?"

The alien was moving.

It that was focused on them. Their little group.

Harry watched Zoe and Richie stumble and run, they were running from him but they should be running from the alien. He hadn't meant to hurt them.

He ran after them.

"Stop!" He shouted.

"What's going on?"

"Just go Richie!"

The alien was on their heels. Harry was on the alien's heels.

The alien paused.

Zoe looked back and her wide eye's met Harry's. She ran on Richie in hand.

Harry brought his arms up not a moment too soon because the alien wasn't chasing the couple anymore. No it was happy to attack what was close at hand.

It hit down.

The blow was strong, half flesh and half metal.

He fell to the sidewalk and the additional pressure on his injured shoulder made him open his mouth soundlessly as sharp pain spread over him.

The alien leaned towards him.

Harry looked into the blank eyes. Not blank like an animal. Not just emotionless. They were void. Void.

He desperately tried to focus on magic, apparition, anything as he brought his arms up to protect his head.

There was a sharp sound. Strange but inarguable.

He brought his arms from his face.

The alien was missing a forearm.

Harry rolled.

The alien shrieked but still struck where the space Harry had been occupying only seconds before.

Harry moved. Small is good. Small has been in his favor before. He beat the balisk. He beat the dragon. He can beat an alien. He ran towards the metal circle that had managed to sever the alien's forearm.

He grasped the edge of steel in his palm. The blunt edge digging in, reassuring him of its realty. He moved. He rolled. He moved. He was behind the alien. He moved. It struck.

A hand grasped his collar and he writhed as he was swung quickly till the alien was blocked from his sight.

"Woah! I have you!"

The man who had Harry in hand dropped him just as quickly and in efficient punches the alien was no longer a threat.

Harry looked from the prone body of the alien to the man who had interrupted what would surely have been a deadly blow from the alien.

He appeared to be wearing a skintight outfit in red white and blue. It was eye catching and not exactly something that someone would just happen to be wearing out on the streets. But then this was New York, he'd heard stories so who knows.

The man in question moved till he was kneeling in front of Harry.

"You were very bra –"

The man faded out mid sentence and tilted his head to the side. He was wearing a cowl Harry thought hysterically.

"I'm sorry but I have to go"

"I'm going to need this back son"

Harry looked down to the shield still in his grip. It was painted in matching colors to the man's outfit. He let the shield go. The man stood quickly and every line of his body was tense. He turned and took off down the street looking back briefly to shout at Harry.

"Stay with the crowd!"

Harry could do nothing but nod as he watched in awe as the man moved without seeming to care about the physical limits of a human body. It was far shorter amount of time than it should have been before the man was out of sight.

Harry looked out at the street and people that were doing their best to move away from the carnage.

Well he was alone but apparently meant to stay with the crowd?

Harry had no better ideas.

"This way!"

His shoulder sending throbbing pain down his body Harry numbly followed the voices directing people in the streets.

"Let's move people!"

Harry could do nothing but walk on and as he got further from the active fighting the straggling groups of people turned into a crowd. He kept on walking. Each step reminding him that he had no shoes. When the sound of active fighting was faded to the point that it was eclipsed by the sound of grief Harry felt so very tired.

They were no longer on a street he noticed as he flexed his feet into the grass he stood on. Harry sat and watched with disconnect as people moved around him in the open space.


	7. Interlude 3: Get the man a hobby

A week since aliens had invaded New York.

It had been a week.

Seven days used to pass like an unacknowledged tide, every Monday, every Tuesday nothing changed. In this strange new New York with constant indoor temperatures and unchanging environments the passing of time seemed even more arbitrary. Now though there was a number that was undeniable and absolute. Seven. Seven days since the proof of alien life. Alien life that was not exactly friendly.

Steve Rogers lifted another piece of rubble. He was out of the strange new military uniforms they'd given him dress or otherwise and he was enjoying the anonymity. Seven days after a single day of battle and the destruction to New York was as great as it would have been by the war. He lifted another piece of rubble and tried to make it look harder than it was.

A week and everything had changed. He'd gone from living in the Shield barracks to living with the middle aged son of the man he'd worked with, well by his time only months beforehand.

Stark had surprised him when he'd invited him to stay at the tower. He'd claimed that Pepper, a woman he'd never met, had made him, something about fair play if Bruce had been invited but Steve could see that Tony was genuine. Well as genuine as anyone could be that offered relative strangers, because of course he invited the others, with expansive rooms with so little thought. Natasha had declined for now saying she was still needed at Shield but Clint had taken one look at the guest room on offer and settled in saying he needed a break from work. No one said anything about the new distance it put between him and Loki imprisoned at Shield.

He threw another piece of rubble and thought about how different his New York was. He'd heard men talk before about how sometimes going home wasn't possible but this kind of post war return to New York was just hysterical. Bucky would strangle him to see him so morose having gone form their crappy little shared apartment to living in a building that touched the sky. Steve's line of thought was thankfully cut off before he could think more about what Bucky would say to him.

"Alright everyone! Lets take a break for lunch the good folks here are supplying curry for the volunteer team so make the most of it! "

Steve paused and quickly moved another piece of rubble with one hand. The ease sometimes still took him by surprise. He watched the other men and women moving together towards the food. He stayed back.

"Hey man, not hungry?"

Steve turned towards the only other man nearby not already heading to the food. Steve rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah well, I have plenty of food at home. I can keep going"

The other man looked fairly incredulous

"Sure, sure, I imagine home isn't far away and that you haven't been doing hard labor all morning"

Steve grinned.

"Well home's just round the corner but when you put it that way" He replied offering his hand "Steve Rogers"

"Wow were your parents patriotic or just couldn't resist the opportunity?"

"Huh?"

"Steve Rogers, ya know! Captain America?"

"Oh…yeah him."

"Must blow now though, they're saying he's back."

Steve didn't know whether he should be offended or not.

He must have seen Steve's look and interpreted it correctly because he kept talking.

"Oh! Not saying it's not great that he's back! Just must be hard having a dead man's name"

Steve laughed morbidly.

"Yeah you have no idea"

They joined the rest of the volunteers with their food and settled under the shade of one of few buildings still able to offer shelter this close to the epicenter of the fighting.

Steve took a bite of the food that smelt so good.

"Huh this is good."

"Yeah can't go wrong with butter chicken"

"Yeah? I'll have to remember that if I have curry"

The man gave him an odd look and Steve wished he could swallow his words.

"You sound like a New York man, must be hard avoiding it"

Steve nodded but didn't reply deciding it'd be easier to stuff his mouth than explain that away.

Steve took another bite and as the awkwardness of the interaction faded he enjoyed the camaraderie of being just another man in the group. His hearing was powerful enough that he could pick up the on the conversations of the others. It could also pick up the settling movement of the building they under. There was a subtle sound. It was innocuous but undeniably the movement of a large structure. Steve had heard it before, usually as his team took down a Hydra base. A chill ran through him. Had anyone checked the building's integrity?

There was another groan. A trickle of dust filtered down through the shade, sparkling as it was captured by a beam of light that penetrated the dark.

"Out! Everyone needs to move!"

A few of the people nearby jumped but just looked at Steve in confusion. He moved, grabbing the man who'd joined him for lunch by the armpit and propelling him to his feet towards the door.

"This building is going to fall!"

People started to move but it wasn't enough.

The subtle groaning became louder. Loud enough to be heard by the others and with a mighty rumble the west end of the ceiling began to collapse.

Steve moved. He slammed himself into place catching a beam above his head while simultaneously planting his feet. He could feel the veins pop in his neck as he took the weight of the ceiling. Dust fell from overhead and he blinked it furiously from his eyes.

The volunteers who had fully been expecting to die were shocked still. Staring mouth open and eyes wide right under the unstable ceiling.

"Move!" He roared.

It broke the last of the men out of their shock and as soon as the last cleared Steve dropped the beam rolling quickly to avoid the resulting collapse. He joined the others outside as they silently watched the dust settle.

There was a long pause before anyone spoke.

"Well shit you're the real Steve Rogers aren't you?"

"Yeah"

It broke the silence and soon Steve was surrounded by those he'd saved. Shaking hands and receiving heartfelt thanks. Eventually it was broken up by a booming voice.

"Hey, Hey! I know very exciting Captain America is here and just saved all our butts but have a little dignity"

"Hey!"

"We have a couple more hours of daylight, you can moon over Captain America some more or you can leave the poor man alone and clean up some more rubble off the road"

The small crowd slowly dispersed till it was only the speaker left.

He raised an eyebrow at Steve

"Hard to have a dead man's name eh?"

Steve tried not to look sheepish.

"Thank you for what you did. I can't imagine what would've happened if you hadn't been here today"

Steve shrugged.

"Really truly grateful so please don't take this the wrong way when I say that it might be for the best if you transferred to a different crew"

He said making a pointed look at the people who were not so subtly staring at their conversation.

"Captain you're a little distracting"

Steve laughed and tried not to mourn the loss of his short lived anonymity.

"Yeah I can see that, thanks for letting me help out"

"If you want a suggestion you could always head to the field hospital, visit kids, lift spirits and all that?"

"Here I was thinking I'd done my time as a dancing monkey". Steve said with all the good humour he could muster.

The man let out a guffaw

"Come on now Captain most people are just dancing monkeys at least people appreciate your show"

Steve shook the man's hand and slowly made his way back picking his way through the rubble back to the tower.

The volunteer director watched the back of the American icon as he left.

"Did I just send home the man who could move the kind of rubble it would take six men to move?"

"Yeah not your best move boss"


	8. Chapter 5

He was in trouble. The kind of trouble only he seemed to get into. He stared at his hands with a sort of morbid curiosity; the kind of way people would try to catch glimpses of war wounds out of the corner of their eyes.

"Honey, can you tell me your name?"

He didn't want to look up at the woman speaking. He wanted to keep pretending she wasn't talking to him and that awful tone of voice.

This whole thing was ridiculous. He had been captured by sadistic Muggles, had somehow managed to turn himself into a child, he had just ran through an alien invasion in New York and now they wanted him to tell his name.

He didn't look up. He didn't say a word.

* * *

They called him son, sweet heart, honey, pumpkin, kid, brat, they called him everything but his name.

He ate the food without tasting it. He stayed still when they checked his healing feet. He didn't even try to leave the large canvas tent overflowing with children. It felt like he was watching the world through a pair of omnioculars; he skipped through the days.

He didn't sleep.

The longer he was there the less and less people tried to talk to him. The numbers of children were thinning but there were still far too many people around for anyone to be especially concerned with one of the many traumatized kids around there.

There were new adults constantly wandering through. There was a grim kind of determination with some, a need to look and look and look at each and every little face before they could sleep. Some were grandparents, aunts, they grasped the child to them like they were holding the last remaining part of the people they loved and lost. What hurt the most was when a parent found their child. Happy tears and so much relief, Oh thank god, thank god that you're alive. Thank god I found you in this tent and not on the wall of photos that showed the lists of unidentified children just beyond.

He had thought he wouldn't again see the look of children waiting for when their parents to come through the door. He thought he had endured enough loss and heartbreak for a lifetime.

"It's alright kid, I'm sure someone's out there looking for you too."

Harry didn't answer the kid who had handed him his bowl of food. Dinnertime. The speaker can't have been more than 14. He had fought dragons at 14 but now it just seemed so young.

"Still don't feel up to speaking huh?" The kid ran his fingertips over the portion of his head that had been shaved for stitches, "I don't blame you; the food's not much to sing about".

Harry looked down at the bowl he was cradling. How long had the kid been speaking to him?

Another boy sat up two cots over, put down a book and looked pointedly at Harry's conversation partner.

"Oscar are you still trying to get him to talk? It's been a days, most people would be able to take the hint."

Oscar ignored the speaker after an affectionate eye roll before once again focusing on Harry

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to" Oscar said.

Harry ate a spoonful of the soup, the boy beside him was right; it wasn't much to sing about.

"Thought you might be getting a little bored thought, I managed to trade one of Kelly's comics that she left here for some pens and paper if you wanna do some writing to someone or a picture or something".

The kid was already pulling out a couple of plain pens and a pile of paper from beneath his pillow.

Oscar leaned forward excitedly, "They're all yours, no backsies" he said as he quickly placed the pile of stationery on Harry's bed. He looked between the gift and the boy sitting on his neighboring cot.

Oscar had a grin on his face and his hands held up in the universal code for definitely not taking the stuff back. Harry met his kind brown eyes and Oscars grin widened.

"You're welcome".

Harry finished his food and his bowl was whisked from his hand, Oscar gave him a wink as he walked away with a pile of dishes. How much had this kid been doing for him? How long had he been here?

He leaned forward over his crossed legs and ran a hand over the paper that lay contrasting with the itchy brown blanket that was identical to all of the others around the tent. It had been printed on one side already, nothing important, words that blurred before they were brought closer to his eyes. He pulled them to his chest and grasped the pens in his fist.

He didn't remember closing his eyes and he didn't feel his itchy blanket being pulled over him. For just a moment the pressing weight of the unknown receded enough and his over tired body no longer had the strength of fear to keep him awake for a moment longer.

* * *

When he woke up it was dark. It took him a long while before he realized where he was. Only after he recognized the dark silhouettes as cots did he release his breathe and move. He swung his legs over the low edge and touched the floor.

He stood up and tried not to let his face crumple as he realized his view of the room was from a child's perspective. He moved then, squinting to make up for his lack of glasses, navigated his way through the sea of mainly sleeping children and out the back entrance.

One of the nurses taking care of the children followed his movements like a hawk but made no move to escort him back inside, instead with a touch on the shoulder to her partner and a whisper in the ear she headed outside and settled down on one of the temporary outdoor tables.

Harry kept an eye on her but as long as she didn't interrupt him he didn't care. He needed to see the sky. It had a hue to it that meant that either the sun was about to rise or had recently set. He had no idea what time it was but he didn't care. He took a breath that shuddered on the way out. His legs folded beneath him and he sat on the slightly damp grass. For the first time he noticed he was wearing soft cotton pants, the dew was going to get them wet.

He didn't know how long he sat there but it was long enough to see the sun rise. It was blocked by surrounding city buildings but it was enough to see the light filter softly through.

"What the hell am I going to do?"

He spoke softly but it almost didn't come out at all, his throat dry from disuse.

"What am I going to do?"

Louder now but no more reassuring because it was still all to obvious that it was not his voice but the voice of a child.

From a place in the back of his head he could almost hear Ron's voice teasing Hermione "The first step is acceptance" he had said, "There is nothing to accept Ron! I have absolutely no issue with your driving!"

The difference this time is that it wasn't a joke; he has a problem, and it was a big one. Digging his fingers into his shirt hem he frowned. He had no idea how he could fix this.

To add to the trouble he didn't particularly want to think, he just wanted to go home.

'Can't just sit about all day! Plan Harry. If you want to get home think!'

Harry almost jumped at the imagined voice. Hermione would take him to task if she were here. He was struck by a fierce longing for Ron and Hermione. What would they do if they were there with him?

He stayed sitting on the grass long enough till the sun had dried the last of the dew. More and more people started to move about.

"Oh! There you are"

He heard the footsteps closing in on him before he realized the voice was talking to him.

"You gave me a heart attack, you don't move for almost a week then poof! Gone without a warning" Oscar plopped himself down next to Harry.

"Sorry" Harry rasped out, his voice faint after days of being unused.

Oscar paused for a long moment before answering.

"Hey no problem, its pretty nice out here."

He looked down at Harry.

You wanna come get some breakfast?" Oscar asked hopefully, "I know you haven't been to the canteen yet but it's wicked. We can always bring our food back here to eat."

Harry didn't know what to do with anything right now but the kid was looking at him so hopefully he couldn't possibly say no.

"Sure"

"You won't regret it!"

Harry didn't get his hopes up but at least he was moving. The plan would come next. He looked up at the boy leading him.

"Harry"

"Huh?"

"My name's Harry"

* * *

Oscar kept up a stream of chatter as he led Harry through the collection of emergency tents till they arrived at one larger than the rest. He waved at the people they passed while Harry tried to act invisible by his side.

Before they went inside Oscar took Harry's hand in a move that seemed natural, as though he had done this hundreds of times. Harry tried not to freeze with the shock but when he jerked he only got a reassuring smile before they continued.

Oscar greeted kids by name and in turn introduced Harry, some looked vaguely familiar, they all looked haunted, but they all smiled at him. When they reached the front of their line the man behind the counter gave Oscar two bowls of porridge by request before smiling down at Harry and proclaiming that he was glad to see Oscar's friend out and about.

They ended up eating outside after Oscar promised to bring the bowls back to the serveries.

A girl who was taller than Harry but still a preteen joined them in the sun.

"Heya Helen, it turns out his name's Harry!" Oscar said while gesturing proudly at Harry.

"Nice to meet you Harry, I'm Helen." She said in a rush hardly pausing before continuing, "Not that it isn't really cool to know ya name but I just heard from Josh who told me his cousin Sam who went out to work clean up yesterday heard from his boss that Captain America is going to come here!"

Harry looked on with confusion as Oscar paused with his spoon of porridge in the air to look at Helen with shock. His mouth hung open and he uttered a gasping little "what?"

The girl was nearly jumping up and down on the spot "I know!" she squealed with excitement.

Oscar's porridge was slowly dripping off his spoon onto the grass but he didn't seem to notice. "Do you reckon we'll get to actually meet him?" He asked, "Like actually talk to him?"

"I have no idea but if we don't see him in person I have most of the kids here ready to riot!"

"Kids please refrain from planning another riot, we're going to be having a bit of a group meeting so boys you should head back to our tent, Helen say Hi to your Mum for me and make sure you and your Daddy make her stay home long enough to get some proper rest honey."

Poppy waved at the nurse and agreed with a smile before running off towards the main building.

The nurse ushered them back into the tent where it's roughly two-dozen occupants slowly filtered back in and settled down. Harry sat down next to Oscar on his bed.

"Now we have a bit of a surprise today, someone very special has come to visit and chat with us and we're going to be on our best behavior.

She looked conspiringly towards Oscar and Harry as she paused for a moment as the anticipation grew.

Now I'm sure you've all heard of Captain America and we're very lucky today to have him visit"

She has to pause again to wait for the explosive chatter to die down

"Now I want you all to behave nicely, no harassing the man" she tried in vain to talk over the excited crowd.

"Ah! I can't believe it, Captain America! We're going to meet Captain America? Harry!"

Oscar paused his celebrations as he took in Harry's blank confusion.

"Who?" Harry asked quietly

"Jeez how can you not know who Captain America is? He's only like the single best superhero ever!"

Harry was possibly even more confused. Superheroes?

"He's super strong and brave and he can do anything!" Oscar said in a huge rush of breath like Harry's ignorance needed to be fixed as soon as possible. "And he's coming here where I might get to see him up close!"

Harry started to feel a bit concerned about Oscar when a hush feel over the room and he turned to see the man who was dressed like the American flag, who was carrying a shield for Merlin's sake walk into tent.

That was not a comic book character, that was an honest to god real man who he had seen fighting aliens not long ago on the streets of New York. The wizarding world may be pretty isolated in most cases but for something like this he'd think he would have at least heard rumors about real life superheroes living in America.

The man walked into the middle of the room till he was standing next to the now blushing nurse. He thanked her and smiled around the tent.

"Hi guys" There was a anticipatory pause and the man cleared his throat "Now I don't want to take up too much of your time cause I know for a fact that they're going to be serving something special for lunch today"

The Captain paused in front of the rapt crowd.

"Right, how about I avoid staying up here and making fancy speeches. I reckon it'll be more fun if I come around the room for a few hours?"

There was an excited murmur. Oscar was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Did you hear that Harry! We might get to talk to _Captain America!_ "

Harry nodded while the nurse instructed everyone to just play quietly inside till Captain Rogers came around.

Harry and Oscar were near the back end of the tent so that by the time Captain America did make his way through the children Harry was well and truly versed in the legends of the first superhero. Apparently the guy was really good at punching Hitler, and well pretty much everything else. Harry was a bit disbelieving, even the most powerful wizards didn't look that young at 90.

Really the man looked impeccable. Even at the peak of his auror training Harry couldn't have come close to competing with the obvious muscle on this man. The Captain patiently made his way talking to every child to the end of the tent where the last collection waited. The other children were being gently pushed outside by the volunteer to stop them crowding Captain America so by the time he got to Oscar and Harry's group it was quite quiet. Well almost.

"Captain! Captain! It is so good to meet you; I swear I am a huge fan. When my grandpa was a boy he had some of your comics and he gave them to Dad and well then me and my little brother got half each but I gave him my dessert for a year and I swear I have them now!"

There was a beat of silence while Captain America took everything in.

"Well it's very nice to meet you" He said holding out his red gloved hand.

Oscar almost swooned as he shook the offered hand.

"Now what are everyone's names?" The man asked.

The half dozen children answered eagerly but when Rogers looked at Harry expectantly Oscar stepped in to cover the pause

"He's Harry, he doesn't really talk much but he's awesome".

Captain Rogers gave Harry a concentrated look, "Nice to meet you Harry, but I could've sworn that we've run into each other before; you look very familiar."

Harry nodded.

Oscar looked at Harry with a cross between admiration and betrayal. "You've met Captain America! And you didn't even know who he was?

"It was a bit rushed, there was an alien" Harry spoke still looking at the Captain.

There was a pause.

"That's an interesting accent, are you English?" Steve Rogers asked.

Harry shrugged.

"I have a very dear friend who is English, though I imagine she's lived here long enough now to be an official New Yorker."

Harry had no idea where this was going so he simply nodded.

"You were very brave in the invasion, I'm glad that you weren't hurt and we were able to meet again". Steve said before he fielded off questions from the other children.

Harry was tempted to stick around and listen to the chatter, there was a part of him that was full of awe for the blonde man but he couldn't just sit around like the children. There was something he could be doing instead of sticking around here.

He was going home and he needed a plan.

He went the few steps required to bring him to his bed and pulled out the sheets of paper stuffed under them. It took a lot more effort than it should have but he focused on his memories of previous trips to New York. He didn't think he could apparate but he had done enough walking in his life to get a mild idea of where he needed to go. Street names came to him as he clumsily wrote and drew landmarks, coffee shops, parks, anything he could remember.

He was going to track down the United States Of Magic in America, and he was going to see why they had allowed everything to go to shit without doing anything to intervene. He could almost _almost_ believe that his own treatment had gone unnoticed by the USMA but a full-scale alien attack should have bought some American forces to the fight.

"What are you drawing?"

Harry looked up and straight into the clear blue gaze of the Captain. Jerking and throwing his pen in an instinctual reaction made Rogers apologize quickly while retrieving the stationary weapon.

"Sorry! Sorry, I thought you knew I was there." The man repeated.

Harry nodded a bit frantically.

"It's fine"

He'd always been short but his memory hardly stretched far enough back to remember someone tower over him the way adults could do now and really for someone his size the living legend was surprisingly quiet.

"Is it a map?"

Harry nodded again.

"I see, it's good. I like your park, though I don't recall ever seeing many trees with doors in them when I was last here. Are they new?"

Harry almost laughed; the man was an idiot. He looked up again to see Rogers looking completely serious, but it was the eyes; they gave him away. The man was messing with him. Well lucky for him Rogers wasn't dealing with an amateur.

Harry nodded with the most earnest expression he could muster.

Steve ruined it by laughing, but it didn't feel too bad to smile again.

"Can I join you? It's been a while since I've done much art" Steve asked.

Harry glanced over at the children to see Oscar in raptures as he hovered his hands carefully over the shield and telling it's history to those gathered to listen.

Nodding Harry handed over one of his pieces of paper and a pen. Oscar wouldn't mind, he would hardly complain about doing what Captain America wanted.

Harry didn't need to work on his map anymore and he didn't want to write down his plans, he wasn't stupid, not with people around.

But now he was stuck with Captain America concentrating on his piece of recycled photocopy paper while sitting on his bed.

Oh well what the hell. Harry picked a clean bit of paper.

Harry chewed on the end of his pen, frowning with distaste when small bits of plastic come off the bad quality thing.

Hermione was always telling him it was bad for the end of the Quills if you chewed on them but he couldn't shake the habit. He could imagine her looking at him with fond disapproval.

Almost without thinking he started to draw a very rough image of his friend, soon Ron was on the page too holding Rosie and smiling fondly. Rosie was screaming with loud sound waves from coming from the burrito looking object he had drawn.

"Are they your parents?" Steve asked softly.

Harry couldn't hold it in this time. He let out a startled laugh that only lasted a moment. The idea was so absurd that he couldn't hold it in.

"I'll take that as a no?" Steve said smiling a little.

"They're my best friends" Harry answered

"They look lovely" Steve commented.

Harry glanced down at the page; that was a very generous assessment. Even with adult levels of dexterity he'd never been very proficient at art.

"They're magic" Harry added. It felt good to be honest. Besides kids said crazy stuff all the time.

"Magic is neat, well not according to Iron Man but I think it's just because he doesn't understand it." Steve replied while adding detail to his own drawing.

Harry paused, was Captain America making fun of him? He shouldn't know about magic, nor should whoever Iron Man is. He must be joking. It wasn't a very funny joke.

"Right. I think I am just about finished." Steve said as he added a signature to his picture before holding it up for Harry to see, "What do you think?"

Harry stared in shock. Captain America had done a quick but stunningly accurate portrait of what he could only imagine was himself. He looked very young.

There was a line of writing at the bottom 'Harry – Keep being brave. Steve Rogers'.

Harry didn't know if he should thank the man or if he wanted to rip the piece of paper to shreds, he settled for nodding.

The Captain placed the paper next to Harry and stood up.

"Unfortunately I have to get going, but it was real nice to meet you again." The man said with a smile as he walked back to his shield and the group of kids taking turns lifting it.

Harry picked up the portrait of him. He'd have to find a way to grow up and fast because no one would let the kid on the page wonder around the city alone. The only problem was that he had no idea how he had shrunk in the first place! It didn't even make sense? What kind of advantage was there to being a kid?

* * *

The nurse who was the regular volunteer at the young boys tent at Bryant Park was trying not to perish with embarrassment. Honestly while it wasn't everyday that Captain America popped in for a visit she should have had a bit more dignity. At least the kids had loved him.

She thought about poor young Harry. They hadn't even known his name but after a visit from Captain America suddenly the kid was looking far better. What a man!

She paused for a moment as she contemplated one of her charges. Now that they had a name for Harry they needed to update his information incase his family was looking for him. It would be lovely if there was someone nearby who hadn't been able to find him simply because his information hadn't been comprehensive.

While the main power grid wasn't fully functional yet they had a system of generators running the camp. In the administration tent they also had wireless internet, she wondered if she'd be able to briefly access it and contact her family and let them know she was still going okay. After Harry she thought.

She scrolled through to find Harry's information and felt her heart sink as she found nothing. This was not good. This was actually very bad, how had he been missed? He wasn't on the system at all! She'd have to get a picture she thought as she typed out a basic description.

Who knows, maybe someone had been looking for him this whole time.

* * *

 **A/N** Whatever could go wrong mwhaha


	9. Interlude 4: Who let the Avengers meet?

As he rounded the corner Stark fell into step beside him and immediately started talking while keeping his gaze focused on a small screen in his hands.

"Now I'm not one to pry but when one of my housemates keeps leaving the nest I have to ask, rescuing puppies?"

Steve continued to the fridge where he started pulling food out to make a sandwich.

"How long were you waiting there for me to walk past?" Steve asked in reply.

Tony looked insulted

"No way was I waiting on you Captain Mysterious, I happened to be working on something very important which required me to stand right there".

Steve gave Tony a look that clearly displayed his lack of belief.

"Alright alright I may have been a little waiting but really when a man can't get his own artificial intelligence to tell him what his roomies are up too then what's a man to do but take things into his own hands".

"Jarvis didn't tell you?" Steve asked surprised.

Tony shook his head looking disgruntled "No, unfortunately he has some strange ideas about protecting the privacy of people".

"Thank you sir, I don't know where I get it from" Jarvis' disjointed voice added dryly to the conversation.

Steve smiled as he finished building his sandwich.

"It's no big deal, I was visiting the field hospital at Bryant Park. The clean up crews kind of kicked me out after people got too distracted".

Tony stared and after a moment of shock he started to laugh, "Oh my god are you even real?"

Steve tried not too let his confusion show, "Yes?"

"You were out there cheering up sick kids?" Tony asked to confirm.

"Well it wasn't just sick kids but I really don't see why it's so hard to believe."

Tony's smile got bit less disbelieving and a bit more genuine.

"Sorry I guess I just wasn't expecting you to be so" Tony struggled for a word before gesturing at Steve "you".

Steve frowned, "It's not a big deal, you and Bruce are working getting Thor and Loki home, I didn't want to just sit around here all day doing nothing when everyone I know is busy and there's so much out there to be done".

Tony nodded "Alright Captain Wholesome I get it, you're the genuine article." He said while moving around him to snag a carton of yogurt from the fridge.

"Shield's PR team must love you."

Steve shrugged but before he could reply Jarvis interrupted

"Excuse me sir, but Bruce is enquiring about you, it appears he's made a breakthrough".

Tony waved with the yogurt while making to leave the room,

"Tell him I'm on my way", he said before turning to Steve

"Oh well we can't all be out there rousing the public and making sandwiches; back to the lab!" He said with a grin.

Steve shook his head with a grin before remembering his sandwich. It hadn't been that long maybe the mayonnaise hadn't made the bread soggy yet. He took a bite.

"Damn."

* * *

Not far from the tower work continued. Quieter than the clearing of the rubble but critically important. A job that needed to be done by someone. There's something to be said about the brutal efficiency of SHIELD that in the wake of an intergalactic incident it still maintains a focus on the suddenly comparatively minor stream of global crises.

"Sir he's ready"

"He's been ready for a week, you're saying we're ready"

"Sir"

"Yeah sorry I've been stressed"

"Aliens will do that to you"

"Don't be smart"

"Of course Sir"

"He's in interrogation room 3?"

"Yes Sir"

"Well what are we waiting for, it's been a long god damn week already"

The pair walked together down the narrow corridors towards the cells specifically designed to hold their most dangerous customers. The people they didn't know enough about. The ultimate threats to an intelligent agency. And this individual was terrifying because as far as they were aware he shouldn't exist.

The Black Widow was used to interrogations. Persuasion, seduction and torture though rarer with Shield were all part of her skill set. She didn't often deal with those long dead but as she entered the interrogation room she found herself face to face with a rare case. A supposedly long deceased Shield scientist.

She sat across from the man and got right to the point.

"Are you willing to explain why you're not as dead as Shield records have you down as?"

In the gap between the question and answer she observed that he was very very pale. Beads of sweat had gathered on his brow and he grasped his hands together till the knuckes had gone white. This man was not only nervous. He was terrified.

"I – I can't tell you."

"Can't or wont"

"They'll kill me"

Coward she thought. Not in any kind of derogatory way. Cowards were convenient and as the only living survivor of a facility of interest unearthed so close to the Chitauri attack he was critical.

"We can help you"

"No, oh god no you really cant"

"You were an agent you know that Shield can protect you, alien invasion aside"

"I should have killed myself like the others when Shield came for the asset"

"Tell me about the asset"

"They'll kill me!"

"We already have the child" She lied calmly "You wont loose anything or tell us something we wont find out ourselves in the future"

"He's not a child!"

She leaned forward leadingly.

"He's a monster," The man whispered.

He drew a harsh breath before hacking out great sobs.

"I just wanted to be a scientist!"

Natasha looked at the man. There was no more to be gained from him like this.

"We're done here," She said as she stood.

She made it three steps towards the only door in the room.

"Wait!"

She paused.

"Please I have something you could use just promise me that no one else will come in here"

Natasha looked at the man with a disbelieving brow.

"I need something sharp"

Natasha debated the merits of handing a man who was obviously desperate a sharp object. He almost surprised him by his assessment of her judgment.

He rolled his eyes

"I'm not going to do anything"

She could see that now. Too much of a coward to commit suicide with the rest of his group, he wouldn't do it now.

"Why?"

"I have a microUSB under the skin on my upper arm"

"Shield would have detected it"

He looked squinty around the eyes

"I doubt that"

"I'll do it"

The man nodded looking unsurprised.

"Three inches proximal of the elbow"

Natasha took a very sharp knife that she kept in an almost undetectable sheaf and made a small incision just enough to break the first layer of skin.

She pressed and through the small beads of blood gathering around the small cut the sharp edges of a microUSB pushed through popping to the surface like pus from a pimple.

Huh he'd been telling the truth. Not really a surprise with the coward types.

She drew it out gently and kept it on the tip of her finger before placing it into a small plastic evidence bag.

"Thank you, of course we'll have to analyze the contents but you'll be safe here for now"

She turned towards the door.

"No! Don't leave me here!"

She paused, he seemed genuinely frightened by her leaving. Was he concerned about a threat from someone inside shield or just hysterical?

"Access will be highly controlled and the room monitored. You'll be safe here"

She opened the door and moved out of the interrogation room ignoring the man throwing himself against his restraints towards her. She closed the door and turned to the agent stationed there.

"Ward I need you to watch him. Something might be going on with him but I have to go"

"What did he say?"

She just shook her head and kept walking heading towards Fury's office.

Making sure she had everything in order she entered the room.

Fury spoke as soon as the door was open.

"Good you're done. Selvig and Banner had a breakthrough with transporting the Asgardians back to their godsforsaken planet"

It took only a moment for Natasha to reorient her perspective.

"We're just letting the Tesseract go?"

"We don't have a choice"

Natasha nodded.

"How did the interrogation go?"

"I retrieved a microUSB imbedded within the man however he seemed highly suspicious of Shield. I'd recommend stationing someone to monitor him. "

"Good work. Have you showed anyone the USB?"

"No"

"Send it to IT. Level Seven"

Natasha nodded but didn't comment on the far higher than normal clearance level.

"Good, also I need you to be with the team when they transport Loki and the Tesseract"

"Of course"

"It seems they plan to leave soon" Fury said pointedly.

"Of course"

* * *

The morning after the Avengers had gathered to send Thor and Loki home found Steve waking before the dawn. Now this wasn't particularly unusual but what was unusual was that instead of lying there feeling listless for the moment as was his habit he jumped straight out of bed. The reason wasn't a new lease on life. No the reason was that when he underwent the super soldier procedure not only did his body become physically stronger but his senses also improved. In fact they had improved to the point that the unrelenting pounding on his door had not only woken him up but it's frantic pace also set his own heart to pounding.

Stalking over to the door and wrenching it open, something that is easier said than done in a tower that was automated he surveyed the source of his premature heart attack.

"Good! You're awake, I thought you would be, Jarvis said you normally leave soon"

Steve stared down half convinced he was hallucinating,

"I do apologize Captain, I tried to stop him"

"And if you leave soon it's only logical that you'd be awake now, can't leave if you're asleep"

Steve didn't have the luxury of waking slowly nowadays so was fully aware of what was coming out of his team mates mouth.

"Unless you have some sort of super serum sleep mode, super serum sleep style? That has a decent ring to it. You don't do you? There was nothing in the notes"

Stark was starting to look a little worried now.

Steve was stuck between hysterically laughing at the man and just forcibly closing the door again. Deciding that Starks rambling wasn't serious he finally managed to form words suitable for the situation.

"Stark what the hell are you doing here? Do you know what the time is?"

Stark looked genuinely confused for a moment before asking Jarvis the time.

"Its 5:23 sir, and might I add that you never actually told Captain Rogers your plan."

"Plan?" Steve asked dubious as the thought what Tony had masterminded.

Stark looked relieved again as he opened his mouth to explain.

"Whoops, thought I'd bought it up yesterday, Well no time like the present.

"I'm coming with you!" Stark exclaimed.

"What? Where am I going?"

"Bryant park of course, now that the Tesseract and our little Norse problem are no longer on this earth, which wow let's not think about that too closely, there's time for some spreading of good cheer modern superhero style, people can't resist Iron Man you know"

Tony paused for a moment before continuing in the next breath.

"Besides Jarvis is piloting the suit for heavy lifting clean up jobs and Stark Industries is funding crews, so I'm free to charm the kiddies at the hospital".

Steve parsed through Tony's rapid pace information dump while contemplating the logistics of having a computer that was both telling them the time while also being used to pilot a suit of armor to repair the city.

Then he looked at the man in front of him and saw the restless tapping of his fingers and the bags under his eyes and wondered when the last time the man has slept.

"When was the last time you slept?"

Well everyone kept telling him Captain America was honest.

Tony shrugged,

"Scheduled it in for later"

"Well if you really do want to go to the hospital then you need to schedule that in for later too"

He paused for dramatic effect,

"They generally don't have visitors in before 6am"

Stark looked suspicious and pushed a finger pretty ineffectually against Steve's chest.

"If this is some ploy to leave me here while you go woo the adoring crowds then I will get my revenge"

Steve guffawed, "You've struck my master plan. Get some sleep Tony, I'll call the people and we can go at 11 at visiting hours so that we don't cause some sort of pre-dawn Bryant park Iron man induced hysteria"

There was a long pause where Steve worried Tony had fallen asleep on his feet with his eyes open. Just as he reached forward to check the man spoke

"Fiiiiine." He paused his sentence as his twisted gracefully on his heel and began to walk away, "I'll go but only because you asked!"

"What?"

Steve stared dumbfounded at Stark's retreating back before shaking his head to try doing a hard reset. Head spinning he went back into his new rooms and got out his running gear. Maybe after a run Stark would make more sense.


	10. Chapter 6

The patterns of life at Bryant park emergency shelter had taken on routine feeling. Now that Harry was no longer sulking he actually absorbed some of the toing and froing of the park. From a certain point of view he admired their ability to organize the amount of displaced people with an area very much not designed for it. From another perspective he couldn't give two knuts, he was determined to get in contact with the American wizards.

His only obstacle was the fact he looked like a child, and even in a chaotic environment like a field hospital he couldn't just sneak away. That and his most vigilant guard made it impossible.

"Harry where are you going this time?"

Harry sighed. As much as he appreciated the boy looking out for him over the last week he really wanted to get out of this place.

"Just looking around"

"Well we can look around later! It's almost lunch time"

"It's not even close" Harry replied.

"Yeah but if we don't line up now we'll miss out on the good stuff! And Helen said that it's going to be hotdogs today!"

Harry's appetite had been fairly low even with the return of his motivation.

"You go on ahead"

Oscar looked at him skeptically.

"I don't think so"

Harry opened his mouth again to convince him before he was shocked into silence by Oscar shushing him.

"Look!"

Without getting the chance to redeem his dignity Oscar spun him around and pointed at their sleeping tent.

While there were normally people about in the park, wondering between tents, parents, charities and such, this was different. There was some sort of fuss going on back at the boys sleeping tent and it looked organized.

"Maybe Captain America's back!"

Harry thought that would probably be a bit much to hope for. He squinted to try focus on the people moving from the tent. The volunteer helpers seemed to be looking for someone and Harry felt the first stirrings of dread.

"I don't think so" Harry replied.

"Let's go check it – Hey where are you going?"

Harry didn't wait around to answer because along with the volunteers, people in black uniforms had started to spread out from the tent. Uniforms that looked awfully familiar.

He turned and walked as calmly as he could back towards the food tent.

He made it a few steps before a hand on his shoulder drew him up short.

Jumping he twisted around.

"Harry? Where are you going?"

His heart had rabbited in his chest

Oscar. It was only Oscar.

"I have to go."

"What? Why?"

"They're here for me"

"What? Who are they?"

"Look I don't have enough time to explain! If they find me they'll take me somewhere I really don't want to go"

Oscar just looked at Harry for a long moment before grabbing Harry's hand and leading him around a canvas corner.

"This way"

Harry followed Oscar around to the edge of the mess tent to a quiet edge near the bins.

"Talk Harry, what's going on? No one comes back here unless they need to."

"They're here for me."

"Why you- you're just a kid!"

"I – well it's hard to explain."

"Is it because you're British?"

"What? No. That's – look it'd be hard explain even if I could, well I'd sound crazy but I don't have time. If they catch me they'll hurt me"

Oscar looked pale.

"I need to leave"

"Okay okay right where are we going? We could hide in the administration tent"

"Oscar I can't hide here and you can't come with me, if they catch you with me they'll hurt you"

"Hurt me? What are you talking about? You just want me to let you go alone?"

"That's exactly what I want you to do"

"I – Harry?"

"Look Oscar, I can handle this alone. Besides its safer if you stay here, pretend you never knew me"

"You're just a kid!"

Harry felt frustration and was hit by a sudden feeling of nostalgia. He had been in far too much danger as a child he thought.

"I'll be fine"

Harry debated how dangerous it would be to get an innocent kid involved in all this.

"If you want to help me there is something you can do"

"What?"

"The volunteers know you know me, pretend you have no idea where I am if they ask. Don't be brave. Tell them I went that way" Harry pointed towards the opposite distance.

"Please don't try to be brave, they're monsters"

"They really hurt you didn't they?"

Harry didn't know how to answer this kid. Someone who'd been looking after him.

He nodded.

Oscar's face hardened.

"I'll take care of them"

He paused.

"Harry are you sure you're going to be alright?"

Harry nodded

"I know it's a hard to believe but I'm used to taking care of myself"

Oscar looked at Harry disbelievingly.

"I'll be fine"

"Okay I don't want to do this but good luck Harry" Oscar said as he reluctantly turned from Harry.

"Good luck Oscar"

Harry stood in the shade of the tent and watched Oscar walk over to their tent, alone now Harry felt more exposed but also more self possessed.

He moved.

The layout of the emergency shelter was decently sized but not large enough that he couldn't see the park entrance. He moved.

There was a woman standing casually against the fence and Harry felt the hairs on his arms raise as he walked passed her.

Harry kept his head down and kept moving as normally as possible.

He risked a subtle look behind him and the woman who had been leaning oh so casually had disappeared. It should be nothing. She was probably just a volunteer or worker on a break. Harry thought this all through logically before he realized he didn't believe it for a second.

Harry broke into a jog knowing that if anyone started pursuing him earnestly his shorter legs would be a huge handicap. Now would be a really good time for his magic to cooperate.

He was rounding the corner of another tent and risked a final look back in the direction Oscar had headed. He could see a swarm of the blurry dark clothed agents surrounding his young friend. Oscar was gesturing wildly towards the opposite gate. Harry grinned as the people spread out in that direction.

Not wanting to wait around for anyone to realize they were in the wrong Harry turned back around and immediately slammed into a young woman.

Harry twisted away but she was quick. Even at his best he wouldn't have been able to evade her.

"You need to listen to me"

Like hell he'd listen to her. His track record for American Muggles weren't great.

"You need to come with me"

"No thanks" Harry replied while trying to twist his wrists from her grip.

"Yeah smart kid don't trust her kid she'll stab you in the neck, and that's when she's trying to be helpful"

Harry tensed back further from the woman breaking her grip. He spun resulting in both her and the new speaker being in his line of vision.

It was a man. In a suit of armor. Well that was the best way to describe it, but really it was nothing like a suit of armor, there was nothing medieval about it. Fitted and brightly colored. Light and flexible enough to move with the man who gestured casually as he moved closer.

If Harry was any less stressed he might have gasped. As it was he was so tense he just waited to see how the new player would affect the woman.

She moved. Glancing around her. Harry followed her gaze. Curious individuals in the camp had noticed them. Some pointed at the man in the armor. Some small movement from the woman made her look frustrated and a lot more human.

"Oh wonderful Stark, you really don't need to be here right now"

"I think the more important thing to focus on is what exactly you're doing talking to kids in an emergency shelter in full agent get up? Something tells me it's not PR"

The uniformed people had noticed them. Harry saw them start to move. He needed to leave. Now.

"Could ask you the same thing"

"Always with the questions instead of answers Agent"

Harry determined that they were sufficiently distracted by each other and started inching away. He made it an optimistic four meters before he was hauled off his feet by a hand on the scruff of his neck.

"Hey! I got the kid!"

Harry responded by instinctively trying to apparate. It didn't work, instead felt a surge of magic send both of them flying through the air. Adrenaline making the journey slow but inevitable and Harry did his best to curl and brace himself for a hard landing.

He was snatched out the air and while it was nice to not have hit the ground he was starting to get very sick of being manhandled.

"Hey you okay kid?"

Harry took one look at the man introduced to him the other day as Captain America and thought he'd had just about enough.

"What the hell was that!?"

"Clear the area!"

Harry struggled out of the man's grip till he was standing on his own two feet.

Everyone was talking and people were moving. Steve's hands were on his shoulders.

"You okay? Natasha what are you doing here? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later if I can. Right now we need to get out of here"

People were moving around them. Agents moving civilians back.

"What why? Where do we need to be?"

"Not you. Him"

Harry was suddenly the focus of the attention.

"I'm not going back with you."

"Back where? Natasha what does Shield want with a kid"

"See that's what I was trying to ask"

"I can't tell you here but it's dangerous for the kid" Her voice twisted at the end of the sentence.

Oh yeah Harry thought; she was one of them; she knows.

Harry tried to twist out from the strong grip on his shoulders.

"Well doesn't look like the kid wants to go with you"

"He doesn't have a choice"

"Well that doesn't sound very constitutional"

"He's in danger here"

"Harry? What's going on?"

"Harry?" Natasha questioned, "How do you know him Steve?"

Steve made vague flustered sounds but the other man spoke first.

"The good Captain has been here visiting the poor sick kiddies"

"And you met this kid? You have very strange luck"

"What do you mean? What does Shield have to do with Harry?"

"Okay, okay! Guys we're not getting anywhere."

"Thank you for your addition Stark what do you suggest?"

"Neutral ground obviously" He spoke while staring at the woman

"We take the kid to the tower and you can torture the kid there"

The man in the armor spoke quickly before turning to Harry.

"We wont actually let anyone torture you kid, terrible for the superhero image"

Harry was well and truly sick of being talked over at this point.

"Wait a second I don't know any of you people! I'm not going back anywhere"

The woman frowned.

"You can't stay here, I'll clear the tower with Fury" There was a brief pause "And we don't torture."

"I don't believe that for a second" The armored man, Stark commented.

She answered with a glare as she simultaneously talked rapidly onto her very small air piece. Harry stared. He hadn't even noticed it. He knew by definition magical folk were a bit backwards when it came to technology but this was extreme, he'd never seen anything like it.

"Sir we've had a complication"

"No he's here just ran into some friends"

"Not quite its, well it's Stark and Rogers"

There was a long pause.

"He's reluctant"

"Stark's tower Sir"

She moved suddenly.

"It's cleared. He'll meet us there. And I really have to emphasize that we aren't the bad guys here, Harry was it?"

Harry nodded at the same time Stark talked,

"Juries out"

"Not helping Stark this is bigger than you know"

"What bigger than a twelve year old?"

"You have no idea what you've got yourself involved in"

"Hey why don't we have this discussion somewhere slightly less out in the open".

Steve said looking to their left.

Harry followed his gaze to see Oscar watching them wide-eyed.

Harry gave an awkward little wave.

Oscar now looked confused.

"Good idea, Shield transport is at the park gates"

"Yeah no, we're going in my car"

"This isn't a game Stark"

"Yeah well if you want to ride in Shields transport you go ahead, we'll take the tiny explosive enemy of the state back to my tower in proper transport thanks"

They moved then, a strange trio with Harry between them.

"Cant have a quiet week can we?"

"Complaining about good old fashioned saving kids from evil organizations Captain?"

"To be fair I'm not much of a kid" Harry stated a bit disorientated by all that had happened in quick succession.

"That's what they all twelve year olds say"

Steve laughed but stopped abruptly when they arrived at a car with the woman leaning against.

"I'll drive" The agent, Natasha stated as she slipped into the front seat.

"What? How did you even get here so fast?"

"I'm the best Stark"

It didn't take long after they were all in the car that it was moving, quickly gaining speed. Harry gripped the handle.

Harry never thought he'd miss magical forms of transportation but the drive through the wreckage of New York was really starting to make him reevaluate.


	11. Chapter 7

**A/N** Is it too many chapters in to mention? Ah i'll just go for it, very happy to receive comments, constructive or otherwise so if you pick up on anything that i've missed in editing or just want to mention something please feel free!

* * *

When you try and find information on Park Avenue as your average citizen it will give you a lovely history of the street. It will describe the humble beginnings, the charming trams and rail lines. It will give a link to a Wikipedia page that lists the most expensive streets per continent. It will go on to list the businesses that call Park Avenue home.

Most of the businesses listed maintain their presence on the illustrious street by being world leaders, the top of their field. Tony Stark and his tower are no different. He is the best of the best. An innovator. Technology that had been born like Athena fully formed from his mind that had gone on to change lives. In careful, mostly deliberate cases his technology was alive. First built because no one thought it was possible then because technology was his oldest friend why not make it talk to him?

"Welcome home Sir"

"Thanks J, set up the guest suite, we have visitors"

"Of course sir, will you all be wanting fresh towels?"

"Don't be sassy now Jarvis"

The casual communication between futurist and AI was astounding. On Park Avenue. On any location on earth. It was especially astounding to someone who had only limited exposure to muggle technology on the best of days.

Harry listened to the conversation between the stranger and the ceiling voice with no little amount of wonder.

Magic had become familiar. He even felt that he was relatively familiar with muggle technology, he begrudgingly felt thankful to the Dursley's who at least always had the latest technology. However this was on another level. This was straight out of the science fiction shows that Dudley watched with his brief attention span when they were children. It felt magic.

"Harry meet Jarvis"

Harry turned to Tony, "Jarvis?"

"Yep, our voice above. He's smarter than any of us will ever be and lives to serve me"

"Only because no other human is as singularly in need of help Sir"

"Aw you think I'm singular", Stark cooed.

"Of course Sir, Harry in case the explanation was lacking I'm an advanced learning computer program capable of feats of logic that currently aren't developed in any other systems"

"And he says he didn't inherit any arrogance from me" Tony said proudly

Harry floundered for a moment. This was outside of his area of experience completely

"Why is he British?"

Tony paused and for a moment was uncharacteristically silent

"Sir occasionally has moments of eccentricity that are beyond even his own understanding"

Harry supposed that if you were capable of creating life then you should be given some creative allowances.

"It's nice to meet you Jarvis" Harry returned instead of the plethora of confusion and questions that was eager to escape.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Harry, if you have another name you prefer please don't hesitate to tell me"

Harry got an uncomfortable feeling of familiarity between Jarvis and the phone booths that monitored the public entrance to the ministry. Sassy and intelligent. Streaks of independent that couldn't be accounted for by human programming, magic or not. Magic could create the semblance of life. It took something beyond conscious magic for something to gain personality. He had no idea how muggle technology could do it.

"Harry's fine" He said faintly.

A hand on his shoulder drew him back to the reality he wasn't sure he's been loosing.

"It's a bit overwhelming but nothing bad"

Harry looked up at Steve and felt like a moment had passed in which he'd reached a new level of understanding of just what was possible but that he didn't really understand why that was so important.

"Yeah" Harry said with his voice just escaping a shake.

"To be honest I think I have a fair few things that you all may find a bit out of the ordinary too" Harry said trying to keep the edge of hysteria from his voice.

"With Shield's interest in you I wouldn't imagine anything less." Steve replied looking at Natasha as she led them through though the building.

They walked together through the halls of the building before reaching a conference room of sorts.

"How could you possibly have reached here before us?" Tony said with disbelief

"That's not what's important right now" A man wearing an honest to god eye patch replied coolly.

"It is to me," Tony muttered under his breath.

"What's important right now is you"

Harry had the uncomfortable and familiar feeling that the man was talking to him and his already tense shoulders tightened painfully.

"I'm sorry who exactly are you and what do you want with me?"

There was a moment of silence. A beautiful pause.

Tony broke it with a bark of laughter.

"Shut up Stark you're not even meant to be involved in this" The man, said.

Tony did not in fact stop laughing. Even Steve was chuckling. Only Natasha was silent and looking grim.

"My name is Fury. I'm the director of the intelligence agency that recovered you from the people that were holding you, we're aware that you possess super human abilities"

It was, Harry thought, a fair amount of information to cover.

"Super human abilities?" He questioned.

If these people knew about his magic and none of the obliviators had responded then this could turn out to be a very complicated situation.

"I assure you that generating the kind of force you seem capable of is not a normal human ability"

Fury said before continuing, "Not to mention whatever you did to change into a child"

"So you know that I'm not actually a child?"

"Wait wait wait" Tony interrupted.

"You mentioned this before. You're not a child? What does that even mean because from where I'm standing you don't measure up to adult".

"Lets just say I'm a lot older than I look"

Harry couldn't help the despondent tone that crept into his voice.

"Ah well could be worse, you could be younger than you look" Tony said flippantly.

There was a moment of silence before Steve turned to Tony,

"What the hell Stark?" He said with an amused sense of disbelief.

"I'm just saying that there are a lot of people who would kill to look a few years younger!"

"Not really the right place Tony!"

"Fine but you're missing the point here which aforementioned people would kill to know, how could you possibly change into a child?

Harry blinked. That was a quick fire exchange between the two men and the intense change of Tony's focus from Steve to himself was startling. The man sure could stare.

Harry didn't want to try explain magic let alone think about the legalities of bringing up magic in the first place.

"It wasn't on purpose! And I think what's important is how, if you're not with the people that had me before, you know all of this?" Harry said instead looking at Fury

Fury smirked, "My people are very good"

There was a pause.

"And the people that held you took visual recordings that we were able to recover"

Harry nodded.

"But the more important questions are who are you and what can you do?"

Harry didn't answer. He kept his face impassive. This was familiar ground, this was what he had been trained for and well after his previous captors having the two men behind him confused but seemingly supporting was a positive change.

Fury rolled his eyes in a movement that managed to involve his whole head.

"We're not whoever had you before, unless you have bad intent we're, for lack of a better term, the good guys" Fury continued, "Even if you don't believe me try tell me what you can and convince me that you're not going to try bring about another alien war"

Harry suddenly felt the tension in his shoulders and had a realization that he didn't know how long they'd been tense. He didn't relax.

"I can't tell you"

"Cant or wont?"

"Cant"

"Can you tell me what's stopping you?"

"The law." Harry said deadpan.

"You're not legally bound in any records we've found, in fact you're not on any records" Fury responded matter of fact.

"Not any of your records maybe"

"No I mean any records, nothing goes on in this planet that I don't know about"

The man replied "and believe me if people possessing your abilities existed I'd know about it."

Harry couldn't help letting out a small snort.

Fury leant forwards seriously in response. "Now obviously you exist so I'm starting to think you're a long way from home, and not just from the UK"

"What?"

"We have theories of course which we hope you might answer, one is an alternate universe"

Harry stood in disbelief.

"Different universe?"

The question was echoed from Tony who sounded offended.

"Or very very far away. Your presence here was first detected by a spike of gamma radiation, similar to another incident where we had our interstellar traveller that brought upon us our recent fight for New York"

Stark made a noise of realization.

"If you think you're from earth yet your presence here was from gamma radioation linked to interstellar travel we can only assume that there is a paralleling earth planet where you come from in far space or an alternate earth. I'm no physicst. Maybe it's both."

At that Stark let out a soft cry of despair.

"That's a bit of a leap Fury" Steve commented skeptically.

Harry walked over to the window overlooking the city. Obviously still recovering from the invasion. So different from anything he'd ever seen or heard of before. A different world? It wasn't entirely without merit. It would explain why no one had come for him. Why no one had responded to the aliens. It would also mean that he could talk about magic and not sound crazy because this man was clearly able to believe anything.

"I'm not a threat" Harry said, "If this is an alternate world then I don't know how I got here, I don't even know how long I've been here"

There was a pause

"How do I get back?" Harry asked half to himself with a hysterical thought that if magical travel was awful then dimensional transport would surely be worse.

Stuck in an alternate world, stuck in a child's body, he was well in truly stuck.

Before anyone could answer with something he didn't want to hear Harry kept talking. If he broke the statute of secrecy then maybe someone would come.

"Magic. It's magic"

"What?"

"It's not super human abilities, it's magic"

Harry said turning and locking eyes with Fury.

"What does that even mean?" He heard Stark ask

Harry saw the same question burning in the man's dark eye.

"It'd easier to show you but something has gone wrong. I don't know why but when I became well… this I can't access my magic like I normally can"

"Try to explain"

Harry was starting to think that Fury was not the most patient of men. He took a moment to try think of the best way to describe what the completely incomprehensible force of magic was.

"I guess the easiest way is just to say it's like the magic you read about in story books. Fairy tales and all that. Anything is possible. You can turn a chicken into a tea pot and make yourself breath under water, it's indescribable and only as weaponabisable as the wielder is willing to make it"

Harry said his spiel finishing by meeting Fury's eyes.

"I'm sorry Harry that just about goes against everything that we know about just about everything." Tony said

Harry shrugged.

"We have video proof"

It gained the reaction that Fury hoped. He wasn't in the business for his ego but sometimes being the person to give the information that no one else knew was a thrill.

"Well show us then!"

Fury rolled his eyes in an art-full full body gesture.

"Show me the nearest USB port and it's all yours"

Tony looked scandalized and held out his palm

Fury's eyebrows climbed before he slapped down the slim USB drive on Tony's palm.

Tony reached seemingly randomly into the wall and slipped the drive home.

"Jarvis analyze while playing please"

"Of course sir"

The entirely of the far wall seemed to come alive with images projected from nowhere. Harry felt cold and hot all at once when he saw that the focus of the video was himself. Strapped to the upright table he could almost still feel his arms restrained.

"We want to give you the opportunity to work with us".

Harry shook his head.

He was no one's but his own.

"With the right guidance your skills will be invaluable. You can do so much good"

"Surrender and you will find peace"

"Compliance will be rewarded"

Harry brought his hands to his face and ears trying to scrub the thought from his brain. It sluiced over his brain like oil. Undeniably there. Just on the surface. Impossible to remove.

He breathed heavily and fisted his hands waiting till the sting of his nails in his palms grounded him. His right hand was unfolded as carefully yet as undeniably as a flower towards the sun.

He couldn't hear the voice anymore.

He couldn't hear the voice

He couldn't feel the straps.

His hands were gripped in large hands.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that tears had partially blocked his vision. He pulled his hands from the grip and hurriedly scrubbed at his face. Within two gasps he felt under enough control to look back into the eyes of the man who must have surely led him from the room.

There was a long pause before the other man broke the silence.

"When I was at war they called it shell shock, took me a hellova long time before I realized that what everyone called PTSD now was the same thing"

Harry replied by breathing steadily

"Just means that when something awful happens to you your brain gets confused on how to protect you and can bring back the memories to try help"

Harry at that point was breathing steadily and was grumpy enough at the amount of traumatic things he's experienced that made him worry on a day to day basis.

"Well it can bloody sod off"

The man introduced to Harry as the world's first super hero surprised him then.

Steve burst into a shock of laughter that surprised himself as much as Harry.

"I'm not laughing at you, really. I knew a few Englishmen during the war and well one very special one and you just really reminded me of –"

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything too cozy out here"

Tony had left the video and Fury behind him.

"But I'd seen enough, I'm all a fan of visual doctoring but Jarvis is convinced and well what's to loose. It's been at least a couple days since our last planetary crises may as well introduce 'magic' and alternate universes to the population"

Harry's brain did a valiant effort in shifting from Steve's line of conversation to Tony's seemingly important thought slightly manic ramblings.

"Well can't be worse than aliens" Harry commented weakly.

"Kid as much as that comforts me you may as well be an alien"

"Hey! Harry's not an alien. Not his fault this isn't his earth."

"Jeez you're so American Steve"

"What is that supposed mean?"

Fury and Natasha joined them then.

"If you have no idea how to return home or back to your rightfull age then we have to figure out how to deal with you"

Fury paused, considered.

"And by deal I mean protect of course"

"We can protect him"

Harry saw Tony struggle to not look chuffed as Steve volunteered them and was struck by the sudden thought that Tony was lonely.

"Well if you're willing to keep him then you better be up to keeping him under wraps" Fury stated critically

Harry thought he should object to the brutally honest summary of his situation but Steve beat him to the chase.

"He's not a dog Fury!"

Harry looked up and met Steve's eyes and whatever Steve saw there prompted him to keep talking.

"I think we've done all we can today Nick. Look it's getting late, we're all still recovering from the Chitauri, let's do this tomorrow or the day after. I'm sure you have plenty to be going on with"

Fury expelled air in a stretch could be considered a laugh.

"Sure plenty to be going on with. Look I'll be back, don't think I'm underestimating how important what's going on here is"

"But you're right, I do need to go"

Steve nodded but didn't move from his position beside Tony.

"Well that was fun", Tony said.

"I need a drink"


	12. Chapter 8

As much as Harry would have liked to join his new host in a drink he wasn't entirely certain how well his body could metabolize alcohol in it's current state. That and he after a week living in an emergency shelter he decided that it might be smarter to take advantage of working facilities, mainly the running water.

Basically he really needed a shower.

So after possibly the most decadent showering experience of his life, during which he pushed the constantly threatening panic of his current situation to the back of his mind, Harry received directions from Jarvis on how to rejoin the other residents in the tower.

After following Jarvis' directions he left the elevator. His ride had been so quiet that it soon became obvious that no one had noticed his arrival. That or they were all too distracted because before he entered the main room he heard a shout.

"Fuck Loki!" It was a man's voice, loud and clearly upset.

"Calm down Clint"

Harry paused at the entrance; he recognized Natasha's voice.

"I will not calm down! We were so close!"

Close to what?

"We needed Thor". Replied another man's voice.

Curious more than anything Harry entered the room to find the red headed Natasha was sitting with two men furiously bent over a table.

"I'm just saying that everything was set up p – " The man cut off and looked at Harry prompting everyone else to look over.

"Hello"

The men stared.

"Is that a kid?"

Harry didn't expect them not to know who he was; he looked at Natasha and raised an eyebrow.

"My name is Harry"

"Harry?"

"Harry is a guest in the tower." Natasha responded.

"This is Clint, and Bruce" she pointed.

Bruce nodded a greeting.

"A guest? He's a kid," Clint stated.

"Sorry not actually a kid" Harry didn't really want to rehash the whole issue.

"Sure look like a kid"

Harry resisted the urge to get angry for a very small amount of time. But before he could say anything Natasha beat him to the chase by smacking the man over the head gently.

"I told you about him"

"Ahhhh magic shrunken man who mysteriously turned up during an interplanetary crisis"

"That's the one"

"Well not like thing's haven't already gone insane around here"

"Come sit Harry" Bruce offered.

Harry sat on the wide sofa and thought about the best way to find out more from these people.

"So are you people all superheroes then?"

There was a beat of silence.

"Not really, Stark and Rogers were the only established 'superheroes' before the invasion and we just kind of fell into it", Natasha answered.

"What do you do then?"

Harry couldn't help but sound slightly alarmed. As far as he could tell Steve was some sort of super human and Tony had his mechanical armor. What on earth did these people have if they could just fall into being superheroes?

"I'm more of a monster that was in the right place"

"I have my methods" Natasha responded filling the silence Bruce's response made.

"I shoot good" Clint said waggling his eyebrows.

"What?" Harry stared at the man with confusion.

"With a bow and arrow"

Harry couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

At the man's faux offended look he responded.

"Sorry just seems a bit odd"

"Coming from the magic man child that's brutal."

Harry glared at the man.

Steve entering the room broke their mutual glaring.

"Hi Cap" Clint welcomed the man.

"Hi guys, how're you going Harry?"

Harry nodded, "I'm alright"

"Blatant favoritism!" Clint again was ignored other than a grin from Steve.

"What were you guys doing?"

"Preventing Ragnorok"

Harry felt a sense of relief that Steve looked as confused as he felt.

"What?"

Bruce took mercy on them.

"We were taking out our frustrations on the Norse in a healthy way by playing Yggrisal."

He finished his sentence by gesturing to scattered pieces that lay by the table which now that Harry actually could see it saw that a board game depicting a dark tree with bits and pieces laying on it.

"It didn't go well"

Huh that didn't really explain that much but Harry decided to follow Steve's lead and move on.

"Right well I was going to make some dinner, anyone know how to use the kitchen?

"Nope! I've been surviving on food basket fruit but I'll try figure it out with you" Clint answered.

"Nope! No Dinner!" Stark notified them as he entered the room, "Ah good you're all here"

"What do you mean no dinner?" Steve sounded affronted.

"What's going on Stark?" Natasha asked

"We're moving."

"We're moving?"

"Yep. We need to relocate. The tower isn't exactly up to security standards for fostering tiny wizards"

Harry felt awkward.

"Na don't worry about it, it's not like this is prime real estate at the moment" He gestured to the views of the still smoldering city out the window.

"He can't come to Shield." Natasha stated.

"I wasn't going to suggest it."

Stark said before he continued.

"Wait why not?"

"It's – "

"Let me guess, classified?"

Natasha just looked at the man coolly.

"Right well I wasn't going to suggest Shield anyway. I have another place"

"But what about dinner?" Clint asked dramatically.

Tony groaned dramatically

"We'll get takeaways! Stop being so fussy and get in the helicopter!"

* * *

When Tony had mentioned that he had another place Harry shouldn't have been surprised when the helicopter landed in the well maintained grounds of a sprawlingly large villa style mansion. After all they had flown in from the tallest building Harry had ever been in.

"Hey I've been here before!"

Everyone except Clint who was preoccupied with piloting the helicopter turned towards Steve when his excited statement was broadcasted over the headsets.

Flushing slightly the man continued

"With Howard"

"Yeah well it's changed a bit since your time Captain" Tony said as rotors slowed enough for him to exit the helicopter.

Still visibly excited Steve followed closely being Tony towards the house.

Clint secured down the helicopter waving away Bruce's help leaving the others to trail behind Steve and Tony.

Natasha looked as inscrutable as ever but Harry shared a look with Bruce. They entered into the foyer with a beautiful stairway leading up and away to who knows where and what. Harry didn't know much about décor but the whole place screamed old and expensive.

"Jarvis you up?"

"Or course sir"

"Okay Jarvis is new" Steve commented under his breath.

"Wonderful well everyone welcome to dear old dad's place"

"It's lovely Tony" Bruce commented.

"It'll do. Jarvis is fully installed and as long as you stay within the grounds the security is as tight as the tower was before aliens put holes in it" Tony said tensely before falling into silence.

Now Harry didn't know the people around him very much at all but he got the feeling that Tony's silence was uncharacteristic. Mainly because no one else filled the following silence instead standing paused for a moment too long for it not to be awkward.

Clint entered with his hair windswept enough to compete with Harry's and broke the silence.

"Hey I thought we were going to get takeaways!"

"We can get delivery" Tony gritted out.

"Oh that's alright then, pizza?" Clint asked looking for everyone's nods of agreement.

"Neat"

"Jarvis?"

"Already done Sir, it'll be 30 minutes"

"Hey Tony I know this place is old as balls but please tell me it has a lounge with a TV in it"

Tony turned to Clint and for the first time since entering the house cracked a small grin.

"Are you kidding me!?"

"Well it's not like you were giving us the grand tour"

Tony rolled his eyes

"Bedrooms that way" He gestured up the grand staircase, "But if it's entertainment you want lounge is this way"

Natasha bumped her shoulder into Clint's

"What you want to pass up on pizza and a movie" He joked as they followed Tony through the house.

"Make yourself at home" Tony said as he spread his arms grandly as he led them through to the lounge.

"Movie suggestions?" Clint asked the room as they settled hesitantly into the new surroundings.

Perching himself on a sofa Harry realized he could actually contribute.

"King Kong is a good one for surviving an attack on New York right?"

"Sure but it came out years ago" Tony replied not sounding convinced.

Harry felt a sinking feeling.

"No it didn't"

"Ah yes it did 2005"

"Its only 2006" Harry said.

Everyone paused.

"Woah really?" Clint exclaimed, "What are the chances of having two time travellers in one room?" He said clapping Steve on the shoulder

"I'm not a time traveller!" Steve replied

"Okay but I'm not a time traveller either!" Harry added.

"It's 2012 Harry, welcome" Tony paused dramatically "to the future"

"Though with the whole different dimension thing you have going on it might just be that we use a different dating system that you guys"

Harry put his face in his hands

"You alright Harry?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, yeah I just need a moment"

* * *

It was subdued in the lounge till the pizza arrived. Harry did his best to process the fact that with the date so drastically different from what he had come from the likelihood this was a different dimension was pretty high.

He chewed numbly on a slice of pizza and felt his throat constrict as he tried to swallow. He gripped the slice and ruthlessly suppressed the panic that came and went in waves. Six years out of place? He'd never felt so far from home.

He took a deep breath and focused on the screen. What were they watching?

He curled into a ball in the corner of the sofa and ignored the concerned looks sent his way. Merlin he needed to distract himself.

"What are we watching?" Harry asked trying to sound like he wasn't having a mini meltdown on the sofa.

"Sherlock Holmes movie" Natasha answered quietly as the characters moved on screen.

"Oh"

Suddenly Steve laughed. The concerned looks were now directed at the Captain.

"Sorry sorry just realized that I was born closer in time to the events in this movie than now"

"God you're old" Clint said wonderingly.

"Wait really?"

"Yeah I was born 23 years after this was set"

"Huh"

Harry marveled. Okay he'd heard the stories Oscar had told, apparently the man had been frozen in ice for 70 odd years but he hadn't really thought about it. Now that was time travel.

He took a breath. He didn't know how he was going to get home but he could just be glad that things seemed to have calmed down for the moment. If Steve could laugh about that kind of change then surely he could hold it together for however long it took for him to figure out how to get home. Feeling himself relax an inch he turned his attention back to the TV and he did his best to figure out what on earth was going on.

"Tony why does that man look like you?"

* * *

 **A/N** Few references in this one :) The board game they're playing at the start of the chapter is real from around the 80's and Loki is one of the characters that you have to beat or you lose/Ragnorok. Oh! The travel bit is due to the wonky timelines, going by Harry's age (and the other's in the first chapter) then he would still be back in 2006 so naturally a bit odd to end up in 2012 when the chitauri invasion occured. And the movie they're watching at the end there is Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows which I can imagine Tony choosing because the actor looks so much like him.


	13. Interlude 5: Nor Judge A Road

He existed to preserve justice. He was a tool to keep the order. He knew vaguely that he had been used differently in the past. He wasn't sure if he was more efficient now but that wasn't up to him to determine. He wasn't meant to have preferences but under his current leader he was the most amenable. It wasn't a thought that was conscious but he liked his current handler.

Unlike most of his past he had vague recollections of his current handler. The blonde hair and square jaw were constants. He was aware that he was stored between use but his handler now was familiar. Perhaps he had been needed now more than usual. If he had any concept of the word home he'd apply it to his current handler.

When the man requested something unusual like an out of base meet he was not only sent but went willingly and without a second thought. He sat. He was in a civilian kitchen, half his face in shadow, in any other circumstance he'd be tense with anticipation for the mission but not now. Their location was secure and they proceeded as normal for a briefing.

"The fools may have let the power of the Tesseract leave their hands and removed the possibility of us using it for benefit of all humanity but we will prevail! While they may not be willing to make the sacrifices needed for the ultimate world order we are! And because of this we will prevail"

The commander was breathing heavily.

"We will recapture our asset and harness the power Shield is too weak to contemplate"

His commander turned towards him.

"Your objective is the boy"

It had absorbed information on the others surrounding the boy not entirely purposely. Important players had taken notice of the boy and currently held him. People talked.

"The others?"

His commander paused.

"Avoid them. Kill them if possible. However together they are at their strongest. Do not approach them when they are together"

He nodded.

That was all he needed. He would wait until he was brought to his destination instilling the objective into his very foundations. They would be torn down and rebuilt soon enough. But for now it was critical to retrieve the boy.

He would observe for the moment and when the time was right. He would act. He would act for the good of all humanity.

* * *

 **A/N** Wow did not think this would get this much attention! Thanks to everyone who has left comments, kind and constructive! Those who have issues, oh boy do I agree! This is the first attempt at fiction (or any creative writing) since I left high school so i'm just glad post grad science has left me with the ability to string two sentences together! But will (time willing) attempt to fix or improve on what I can. Also this is mainly just me wanting to complete a story I began when I was a teenager, and de-aged Harry was all the rage so oh boy please feel free to be critical (it is a pretty silly premise) but think back to 2012 fandom for context!


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